# The placenta at term: insights from the Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research 18th Annual Meeting, 2025

## TL;DR

The placenta can reveal insights into pregnancy complications and predict long-term health outcomes for mothers and children.

## Contribution

The meeting highlights new research directions on placental function and its role in predicting health outcomes.

## Key findings

- The placenta serves as a diagnostic tool for predicting maternal and child health.
- Research methods are improving understanding of placental complications like preeclampsia.
- The placenta's role extends beyond pregnancy to influence lifelong health.

## Abstract

The Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research Annual Meeting, ‘The Placenta at Term’, was held on 7-8 July, 2025, at the University of Cambridge, UK. The meeting brought together leading clinical and basic scientists from around the world to explore how robust research methods can improve understanding of placental complications such as preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and gestational diabetes. This Meeting Review highlights emerging research directions and emphasises the remarkable potential of the placenta, not only as a window into obstetrical complications, but also as a diagnostic tool for predicting the short- and long-term health of both mother and child.

Summary: Emerging research positions the placenta as a unique window into obstetrical complications and a determinant of lifelong health, opening new opportunities for prediction, prevention and intervention.