InSilicoPlacenta · Image-Based In Silico Modelling of Feto-Placental Vasculature

Image-Based In Silico Modelling of Feto-Placental Vasculature

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a major pregnancy complication in which a baby does not reach its biological growth potential. It affects millions of families worldwide and is responsible for a significant proportion of stillbirths. A key contributor to FGR is abnormal development or function of the placenta—the temporary organ that supplies the fetus with oxygen and nutrients. Yet, despite its importance, the placenta remains one of the least understood organs in human biology. Its complex internal vascular structure cannot be directly examined during pregnancy, and current clinical imaging tools provide only limited information about how blood and oxygen move through this vital organ. Today, ultrasound is the standard method for monitoring placental health, but it mainly captures shape and size rather than function. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can reveal more detailed tissue characteristics, but even advanced MRI techniques cannot resolve the fine scale vascular architecture where crucial exchanges of oxygen and nutrients occur. As a result, clinicians lack the tools needed to fully understand placental dysfunction or to detect early signs of FGR. High resolution micro CT imaging allows researchers to visualise the placental vascular network with finely resolved structural information, but this technique can only be used after delivery because it relies on ionising radiation. At the same time, computational modelling, which uses mathematics and physics to simulate biological processes, has become a powerful approach for exploring how blood moves through complex tissues. Yet, despite these advances, current models of placental blood flow remain simplified and do not capture the full structure or dynamic behaviour of the feto placental circulation. The InSilicoPlacenta project aims to overcome the current limitations in placental imaging and modelling by creating the first comprehensive computer based model of the human placental vascular system. By combining ex vivo micro CT imaging, advanced simulations of blood flow, and state of the art MRI modelling, the project will generate a detailed digital representation of how the placenta functions from the umbilical cord down to the smallest villous branches. This integrated framework will allow researchers to explore how structural abnormalities disrupt blood flow, oxygen transfer, and tissue microstructure in pregnancies affected by fetal growth restriction. A key strength of the project is its commitment to experimental validation. The in silico models will be compared with real MRI data from healthy and FGR affected human pregnancies, as well as with histological examinations of placental tissue. Because direct measurement of oxygen transfer in human pregnancies is not ethically possible, the project will also use a well established sheep model of pregnancy to obtain gold standard invasive measurements of oxygenation. These data will help confirm whether the simulated blood flow and oxygen transport accurately reflect biological reality. By the end of the project, InSilicoPlacenta will deliver a powerful new tool for understanding how placental structure and function interact, why these processes fail in FGR, and how early signs of pathology might be detected through non invasive imaging. The expected impact is substantial: improved diagnostic capabilities, better pregnancy monitoring, and ultimately, healthier outcomes for the more than 300,000 babies affected by FGR each year in the EU. The project also contributes to Europe’s strategic goals in digital health, maternal fetal medicine, and computational modelling, demonstrating how interdisciplinary research can address pressing public health challenges.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз