Double Blow

Imagine constructing a building with faulty instructions, while a disrupted supply chain struggles to deliver materials. This, according to a new study, could be what happens in neurodevelopmental disorder Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). PWS results from lost expression of genes thought to affect the developing brain and contribute to feeding and developmental problems. A new study has revealed that these genes also have a role in the placenta, particularly in foetal blood-vessel cells within the labyrinth zone essential for nutrient transport (pictured, red RNA produced from one PWS-associated gene present in the labyrinth zone of a healthy mouse placenta slice). In a mouse model of the syndrome, the placenta contained 25% fewer foetal endothelial cells lining vessels, although the foetuses were not notably smaller. PWS may affect development not only directly through the brain, but also indirectly by altering the placental system responsible for supplying the foetus before birth.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Anthony Lewis

Writer

Ant was the web editor in the early days of BPoD, and has since worked with the UK’s top science organisations as a writer and multimedia producer. He now splits his time between freelance work and managing multimedia at The Lancet.

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• Image from work by Anna E. Webberley and Raquel Boque-Sastre, and colleagues
• Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
• Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
• Published in Disease Models & Mechanisms, September 2026