# Indoleamine 2,3-Dioxygenase Regulates Placental Trophoblast Cell Invasion

## TL;DR

This study shows that the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase may help control how placental cells invade the uterus during pregnancy.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a new in vitro model to study how indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase regulates trophoblast invasion.

## Key findings

- Trophoblast invasion was reduced when cultured with indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase-expressing Ishikawa cells.
- Tryptophan degradation increased in the presence of the enzyme, correlating with suppressed invasion.
- The enzyme may regulate trophoblast invasion in the decidua during human pregnancy.

## Abstract

To clarify the physiological importance of the tryptophan catabolizing enzyme, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, in human pregnancy, we have studied how the expression of this enzyme controls extravillous cytotrophoblast invasion into the decidua. We have generated an Ishikawa cell line stably transfected with a plasmid encoding indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase under the control of a tetracycline inducible promoter. Using this Ishikawa cell line and extravillous cytotrophoblast cell line, HTR-8/SVneo, we developed a quantitative in vitro trophoblast invasion assay. When trophoblast cells were cultured on a layer of Ishikawa cells expressing indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, tryptophan degradation was enhanced and trophoblast cell invasion was suppressed. These findings suggest that indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase expressed in the decidua may play a role in regulating trophoblast invasion.