The placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall, thereby allowing nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply. Proper vascular development in the placenta is fundamental to ensuring a healthy fetus and successful pregnancy. This book provides an up-to-date summary and synthesis of knowledge regarding placental vascular biology and discusses the relevance of this vascular bed to the functions of the human placenta.

Placenta plays a very significant role in the development of secretory and regulatory functions for the maintenance of pregnancy and in the nutrition of the embryo. It shares many functions of the heart, lung, liver, endocrines, and other organs. In Placental Pharmacology, fourteen expert authors discuss how placenta and its component parts can be used effectively in drug development research and in the study of transfer mechanisms across membranes. This reference begins by describing the use of modern biophysical methods to study placental function and prospects for their application in pharmacological research. The next three chapters deal with placental hemodynamics, use of placental tissues and cells in pharmacological assays, and placental transfer of drugs used in pregnancy. Three more chapters contain up-to-date information on molecular biological aspects of placenta currently receiving lots of attention - phospholipase A2 isozymes, imprinted genes and embryogenesis, and placental growth factors. The final chapter describes the clinically relevant topics of placental metabolism and toxicity of homocysteine in placenta. Easy to understand, thorough, and complete, Placental Pharmacology is the perfect resource for scientists interested in placenta and its uses in drug development and testing.

Long regarded as biological waste, the placenta is gaining momentum as a viable product for clinical use. Due to their unique properties, placental cells and derivatives show great promise in curing various diseases. Utilizing contributions from world-renowned experts, Placenta: The Tree of Life considers the therapeutic potential of these cells. I

Molecular Biology of Placental Development and Disease, the latest volume in the Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science series, focuses on placental development and disease. - Contains contributions from leading authorities on the topic of placental development and disease - Publishes cutting-edge reviews in molecular biology