Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed an advanced Placenta on Chip platform that replicates the human placental barrier, offering a powerful new tool to study foetal development, maternal health and the safety of medicines used during pregnancy. The innovation is expected to reduce reliance on animal models while enabling more accurate research into pregnancy related disorders.

The microfluidic platform recreates the physiological environment of the maternal foetal interface, allowing researchers to study how nutrients, oxygen, hormones and medicines pass through the placenta. It also helps evaluate whether drugs can safely reach the foetus without causing harmful effects, addressing one of the biggest challenges in maternal healthcare research.

According to the research team, the platform can simulate pregnanc related complications such as gestational diabetes by exposing placental cells to elevated glucose levels. This enables scientists to observe how disease conditions alter nutrient transport, placental barrier function and foetal exposure, providing valuable insights into disease progression and therapeutic interventions.

The placenta plays a vital role during pregnancy by regulating the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, waste products and hormones between the mother and the developing baby while acting as a protective biological barrier. However, ethical and practical limitations have made it difficult to study placental function in humans, increasing the demand for advanced laboratory models such as organ on chip technologies.

Healthcare experts believe the Placenta on Chip platform could accelerate research into high risk pregnancies, drug safety, foetal development and pregnancy related disorders, while supporting the development of safer medicines for pregnant women. The innovation also strengthens India’s growing capabilities in biomedical engineering,

microfluidics and organ on chip technologies, with potential applications in precision medicine and pharmaceutical research.