Perfluorooctanoic acid induces transcriptomic alterations in 2nd trimester human cytotrophoblasts

Despite efforts to reduce the usage of PFAS due to their environmental persistence, compounds such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are widely detected in human blood and tissue. While growing evidence supports that prenatal exposures to PFOA and other PFAS are linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes, the target organs and pathways remain unclear.

Recent investigations in mouse and human cell lines suggest that PFAS may impact the placenta and impair trophoblast function. In this study, we investigated the effects of PFOA on cytotoxicity and the transcriptome in cultured 2nd-trimester human CTBs. We show that PFOA significantly reduces viability and induces cell death at 24h, in a concentration-dependent manner.