ALTERED PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN HYPOXIC TROPHOBLASTSALTERED PROTEIN EXPRESSION IN HYPOXIC TROPHOBLASTS

摘要

This invention is the discovery that hypoxic mammalian fetal trophoblast cells are a valid model of abnormal maternal plancental function and of other invasive cell types. The trophoblast cells differentially express a number of proteins when grown under hypoxic conditions. These proteins are useful for determining the health of the trophoblasts, the condition of a maternal placental interface and the invasive properties of metastatic and other invasive cell types. The hypoxic cytotrophoblast cells provide a convenient means to isolate these proteins and develope assay kits based upon the presence or absence of the proteins in a human test sample.