Placental neurotrophins are new promising predictors of complicated pregnancy and unfavorable perinatal outcomes

In recent years, more and more data has been published on the association of placental dysfunction with disorders of neurogenesis in the fetus, which increase the risk of neurological and mental disorders in the child’s later life (autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, cognitive impairment, etc.). Histopathological changes in the placenta are found in almost 90% of full-term newborns with neonatal encephalopathy and brain damage. A new area of scientific research devoted to the study of the molecular mechanisms of placental programming of neurological, mental and cognitive disorders in offspring is called “neuroplacentology” in modern literature. This literature review examines and analyzes publications confirming the concept of the prenatal origin of neurogenetic disorders associated with changes in the placenta. The data on new promising predictors of complicated pregnancy and unfavorable perinatal outcomes are presented — placental neurotrophins BDNF, NGF, NT-3 and NT-4, which are regulators of the development and functioning of the fetal nervous system, as well as factors involved in key biological processes during pregnancy (angiogenesis, apoptosis, formation of immune tolerance, cell differentiation, etc.). The pathological expression of these proteins in the placenta and blood plasma of pregnant women with pregnancy complications associated with placental insufficiency (preeclampsia, growth retardation and fetal hypoxia, premature birth) has been shown. The expression of placental neurotrophins correlates with the severity of perinatal lesions of the central nervous system. The review analyzes articles from the PubMed database for the period from 2000 to 2024.