Characterization of Three-Dimensional Trophoblast Spheroids: An Alternative Model to Study the Physiological Properties of the Placental Unit

It was postulated that 3D cell culture models more accurately reflect the complex tissue physiology and morphology in comparison to 2D cell monolayers. Currently, there is a shortage of well-characterized and easily maintainable high-throughput experimental models of the human placenta. Here, we characterized three different 3D cultures (e.g., spheroids) derived from trophoblast cell lines and studied their functionality in comparison to primary fetal trophoblasts and placental tissue. The spheroid growth rates of JEG3, BeWo and HTR8/SVneo cell lines were similar among each other and were significantly larger in comparison to primary trophoblast spheroids. All spheroids exhibited migratory properties and shortest distances were registered for JEG3 spheroids. Even though all spheroids displayed invasive capabilities, only the invasive features of HTR8/SVneo spheroids resulted in specific branching. This was in agreement with the invasive properties of the spheroids obtained from primary trophoblasts. Human chorionic gonadotropin production was highest in JEG3 spheroids and only increased when stimulated with cAMP and forskolin in BeWo, but not HTR8/SVneo spheroids. The gene expression analysis confirmed that 3D trophoblast cell cultures and especially HTR8/SVneo spheroids showed considerable similarities with the gene expression profile of primary placental tissue. This study offers a broad characterization of 3D trophoblast spheroids that, in turn, can help in selecting the best model depending on the scientific question that needs to be answered.