Virginia D. Winn Assistant Professor Obstetrics and Gynecology M.D., Ph.D., University of Rochester, Rochester NY, 1996 Postdoctoral Training: Ob/Gyn Residency - UCSF, 2000 Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship - UCSF, 2003 Post-doctoral training, Susan J. Fisher UCSF, 2006 UC D - Anschutz Medical Campus MS 8309, RC-1 North 12800 E. 19th Ave., P18-5106 Aurora, CO 80045 Phone: 303-724-1483 Fax: 303-724-3512 Email: Virginia.Winn@ucdenver.edu Web: The Winn Lab

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Departmental Affiliations Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Trainees: Camille Hoffman   Kristen Rumer

Other Graduate Program Affiliations Biomedical Sciences Program (BSP) Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) Reproductive Sciences

Human Placental Development

We study the remarkable process of human placental development. Interestingly, while the placenta is one of the defining characteristics of mammals, the architecture and development of the mamalian placenta is not highly conserved. The human placenta is one of the most invasive placentas and results in the formation of an organ which comprises cells both from the fetus and the mother. How this chimeric organ forms and is not rejected is truly remarkable. The fetal cells dramatically remodel the maternal vasculature to bring large volumes of maternal blood to the placenta. The mechanisms that regulate both interstitial and endovascular invasion are not well understood.

Our focus is on the invasive component of the placenta, the region known as the basal plate or decidua basalis.

Diagram of the human maternal-fetal interface. A: Representation of the human placenta after delivery. The placental surface that was adjacent to the uterine wall is termed the basal platedenoted ny the boxed area. B: View of the basal plate at the cellular level. This chimeric region of the placenta is composed of both maternal and fetal components: extravillous (invasive) cytotrophoblasts (dark gray), decidual cells (light gray), remodeled vasculature (both invasive CTBs and maternal endothelium) and maternal immune cells (white). Image Credit: Winn, et. al. Endocrinology. 2007 Mar.

Selected Publications

Winn VD, Haimov-Kochman R, Paquet AC, Yang YJ, Madhusudhan MS, Gormley M, Feng KT, Bernlohr DA, McDonagh S, Pereira L, Sali A, Fisher SJ. Gene expression profiling of the human maternal-fetal interface reveals dramatic changes between midgestation and term. Endocrinology. 2007 Mar;148(3):1059-79.

Haimov-Kochman R, Fisher SJ, Winn VD. Modification of the standard Trizol-based technique improves the integrity of RNA isolated from RNase-rich placental tissue. Clin Chem. 2006 Jan;52(1):159-60.

Winn VD, Sonson J, Filly RA Echogenic intracardiac focus: potential for misdiagnosis. J Ultrasound Med. 2003 Nov;22(11):1207-14

Red-Horse K, Rivera J, Schanz A, Zhou Y, Winn V, Kapidzic M, Maltepe E, Okazaki K, Kochman R, Vo KC, Giudice L, Erlebacher A, McCune JM, Stoddart CA, Fisher SJ. Cytotrophoblast induction of arterial apoptosis and lymphangiogenesis in an in vivo model of human placentation. J Clin Invest. 2006 Sep 21

Winn VD, O'Banion MK, Young DA. Anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid action: inhibition of griPGHS, a new cyclooxygenase. J Lipid Mediat. 1993 Mar-Apr;6(1-3):101-11.

O'Banion MK, Winn VD, Young DA. cDNA cloning and functional activity of a glucocorticoid-regulated inflammatory cyclooxygenase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1992 Jun 1;89(11):4888-92.

Latest Publications in PubMed