Illuminating preeclampsia: integrating photoacoustic imaging into multimodal assessment of the placenta

Inadequate placental development is a key contributor to preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication marked by new-onset hypertension. Conventional ultrasound methods provide limited insight into placental function. Our research develops multimodal ultrasound-based imaging—including photoacoustic, contrast-enhanced, and quantitative ultrasound—to assess placental health and treatment response. Photoacoustic imaging uses pulsed laser light to measure tissue oxygenation and has shown that the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rat model exhibits placental ischemia, which improves with treatment. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound reveals vascular perfusion and molecular expression, while quantitative ultrasound assesses placental microstructure, which normally becomes more complex during pregnancy but remains static in the RUPP model. Together, these techniques offer a multiscale view of placental dysfunction in preeclampsia and support the development of targeted therapies.