ABSTRACT
T he role of maspin in the human reproductive tract is unknown. The human placenta is a physiological site of invasion where cytotrophoblasts invade into maternal tissues during gestation. This process is spatially and temporally regulated but the role of tumor suppressor genes in this invasive model has not been studied in detail. We have examined the expression of maspin in human placenta during all three trimesters of pregnancy and hypothesize a potential role for maspin in regulating invasion at this unique site.
