Late-onset preeclampsia is characterized by accelerated placental aging

Late-onset preeclampsia (LOPE) is a major pregnancy complication characterized by hypertension and placental dysfunction, resolving only upon delivery. Here, we show that LOPE placentae undergo accelerated molecular aging, marked by telomere attrition, DNA damage, and trophoblast senescence. Using primary placental tissue and trophoblast organoids, we demonstrate oxidative stress as a driver of telomere shortening and angiogenic imbalance. Inflammation did not alter placental aging trajectories. Antioxidant treatment (superoxide dismutase) preserved telomere length, reduced DNA damage, and restored angiogenic balance, highlighting oxidative stress as a modifiable determinant of placental aging. We identify reduced expression of telomeric repeat-containing RNAs (TERRAs) as a molecular hallmark of LOPE, and show that antisense oligonucleotide-mediated TERRA depletion exacerbates telomere erosion and senescence. Together, these findings delineate oxidative stress and TERRA loss as mechanisms driving placental decline, establish trophoblast organoids as a tractable model of placental aging, and reveal potential therapeutic avenues for mitigating preeclampsia-associated placental dysfunction.

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Publication Details

Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2026-10-06
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2614827123
Primary Topic
Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
Type
article
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article

Late-onset preeclampsia is characterized by accelerated placental aging

Jose Maria Polo, Lynda K. Harris, Claire Trelford Roberts, Ellen Melaleuca Menkhorst et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
article

Late-onset preeclampsia is characterized by accelerated placental aging

Jose Maria Polo, Lynda K. Harris, Claire Trelford Roberts, Ellen Melaleuca Menkhorst, Jessica M. Williamson, Rudrarup Bhattacharjee, David Alan MacIntyre, Anya Lara Arthurs, Dulce L Medina Garcia, Melanie D. Smith, German Mora
article en

Abstract

Late-onset preeclampsia (LOPE) is a major pregnancy complication characterized by hypertension and placental dysfunction, resolving only upon delivery. Here, we show that LOPE placentae undergo accelerated molecular aging, marked by telomere attrition, DNA damage, and trophoblast senescence. Using primary placental tissue and trophoblast organoids, we demonstrate oxidative stress as a driver of telomere shortening and angiogenic imbalance. Inflammation did not alter placental aging trajectories. Antioxidant treatment (superoxide dismutase) preserved telomere length, reduced DNA damage, and restored angiogenic balance, highlighting oxidative stress as a modifiable determinant of placental aging. We identify reduced expression of telomeric repeat-containing RNAs (TERRAs) as a molecular hallmark of LOPE, and show that antisense oligonucleotide-mediated TERRA depletion exacerbates telomere erosion and senescence. Together, these findings delineate oxidative stress and TERRA loss as mechanisms driving placental decline, establish trophoblast organoids as a tractable model of placental aging, and reveal potential therapeutic avenues for mitigating preeclampsia-associated placental dysfunction.

Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesVol. 123(41)
Royal Women's Hospital (AU), The University of Melbourne (AU), Flinders University (AU), Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health (AU), Centre for Cancer Biology (AU), The University of Adelaide (AU), University of Nebraska Medical Center (US), Epigenomics (Germany) (DE)
Openalex Percentile: Top 8%
Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
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