Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed an innovative “placenta on chip” platform, a breakthrough biomedical technology designed to improve the understanding of foetal development, maternal health and pregnancy related complications. The microfluidic device replicates the structure and function of the human placenta, offering scientists a powerful tool to study the complex biological interactions between mother and foetus in a controlled laboratory environment.

The placenta is a temporary yet vital organ that develops during pregnancy and serves as the primary interface between the mother and the developing baby. It plays a critical role in regulating the exchange of oxygen, nutrients, hormones, drugs and waste products, while also acting as a protective barrier for the foetus. Despite its importance, studying the human placenta has remained a significant challenge due to ethical, technical and biological limitations.

The newly developed placenta on chip technology aims to address these challenges by recreating key features of the placental barrier on a miniature laboratory chip. The platform enables researchers to simulate and study the transfer of nutrients, pharmaceuticals and other substances between maternal and foetal systems, providing insights into normal pregnancy physiology as well as pregnancy related disorders.

According to the researchers, the technology could significantly advance studies related to foetal growth, drug safety during pregnancy, maternal infections, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and placental dysfunction. The platform may also reduce reliance on animal models and enable more accurate investigations of human pregnancy and foetal development.

Globally, complications related to pregnancy and childbirth continue to pose major public health challenges. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 295,000 women die each year from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth, while millions of newborns experience complications associated with maternal and foetal health conditions. Researchers believe that advanced experimental models such as organ on chip technologies could play a transformative role in improving maternal and neonatal healthcare outcomes.

The development of the placenta on chip platform also reflects the growing adoption of organ on chip technologies, an emerging field that combines biomedical engineering, microfluidics and cell biology to create miniature models of human organs. The global organ on chip market is expected to witness significant growth over the coming decade, driven by increasing demand for precision medicine, drug discovery and personalized healthcare research.

Healthcare and biomedical experts have welcomed the IIT Bombay innovation, noting that it represents an important step toward improving the understanding of human pregnancy and accelerating the development of safer and more effective therapies for pregnant women and newborns.

The breakthrough underscores India’s growing capabilities in biomedical engineering and translational healthcare research and highlights the potential of interdisciplinary innovation to address complex challenges in maternal and foetal medicine.