Impaired trophoblast invasiveness and spiral arterial remodelling, which results in poor
placental perfusion during early pregnancy, is believed to cause fetal injury and growth
retardation, and also endothelial cell activation/dysfunction in a susceptible mother, leading
to clinical manifestations of pre-eclampsia. This article briefly reviews the regulatory roles of
certain locally active factors in trophoblast migration and invasiveness. This background is
then used to discuss and debate whether derangements or dysfunction of some of these …