Non-invasive mapping of human placenta microenvironments throughout pregnancy with diffusion-relaxation MRI

Slator, Paddy J. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6967-989X, Cromb, Daniel, Jackson, Laurence H., Ho, Alison, Counsell, Serena J., Story, Lisa, Chappell, Lucy C., Rutherford, Mary, Hajnal, Joseph V., Hutter, Jana and Alexander, Daniel C. 2023. Non-invasive mapping of human placenta microenvironments throughout pregnancy with diffusion-relaxation MRI. Placenta 144 , pp. 29-37. 10.1016/j.placenta.2023.11.002

PDF - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (8MB)

Abstract

Introduction In-vivo measurements of placental structure and function have the potential to improve prediction, diagnosis, and treatment planning for a wide range of pregnancy complications, such as fetal growth restriction and pre-eclampsia, and hence inform clinical decision making, ultimately improving patient outcomes. MRI is emerging as a technique with increased sensitivity to placental structure and function compared to the current clinical standard, ultrasound. Methods We demonstrate and evaluate a combined diffusion-relaxation MRI acquisition and analysis pipeline on a sizable cohort of 78 normal pregnancies with gestational ages ranging from 15 + 5 to 38 + 4 weeks. Our acquisition comprises a combined T2*-diffusion MRI acquisition sequence - which is simultaneously sensitive to oxygenation, microstructure and microcirculation. We analyse our scans with a data-driven unsupervised machine learning technique, InSpect, that parsimoniously identifies distinct components in the data. Results We identify and map seven potential placental microenvironments and reveal detailed insights into multiple microstructural and microcirculatory features of the placenta, and assess their trends across gestation. Discussion By demonstrating direct observation of micro-scale placental structure and function, and revealing clear trends across pregnancy, our work contributes towards the development of robust imaging biomarkers for pregnancy complications and the ultimate goal of a normative model of placental development.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Computer Science & Informatics Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC)
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0143-4004
Funders:	EPSRC, Wellcome Trust, MRC, UKRI
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	11 December 2023
Date of Acceptance:	1 November 2023
Last Modified:	03 Jan 2024 15:25
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/164574

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item