Normal implantation and placentation is critical for pregnancy success. Many pregnancy-
related complications that present late in gestation (such as pre-eclampsia and preterm
labour) appear to have their origins early in pregnancy with abnormalities in implantation
and placental development. Implantation is characterized by invasion of the maternal tissues
of the uterus by fetal trophoblast, and the degree to which trophoblast invades these tissues
appears to be a major determinant of pregnancy outcome. Excessive invasion can lead to …