A bio-mathematical approach: Speculations to construct virtual placenta

The placenta is a transient organ responsible for invariable and unique biological functions including maternal fetus nutrient and oxygen transportation, hormonal regulation and immunological interaction during the gestation. The placental structure varies widely between species both in terms of barriers between maternal and fetal circulations and the shape of the interchange region. When studying both normal and pathological placental developments, mice models are often used. In some occasions, this is a less than perfect model for comparison with human placental physiology as murine placenta is somewhat different. At this juncture, one of the applications of computational biology is taken into consideration, i.e., constructing virtual placenta for understanding the placental interactions between mother and fetus by in-silico. As a stepping stone in this direction, the present study is designed with a bio-mathematical approach to formulate some speculations to construct virtual placenta.