Topics and Trends in Most Cited Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies Papers

Ranked by citations 18 months after publication

Class of 2026 (Papers Published in 2024)

What topics and trends defined most-cited Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies research in the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 highlights major advances in understanding preeclampsia and maternal-fetal health. Research increasingly focuses on the decidua and gestational diabetes, with notable surges in studies addressing chronic hypertension and oxidative stress, reflecting a growing emphasis on managing long-term maternal complications.

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Updated July 19, 2026

At a glance

Field
Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies
Cohort label
Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed
9,422
Papers ranked
20
Top topics in ranked papers
Preeclampsia, Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, Pregnancy complications, Decidua, Gestational diabetes mellitus
Publication window
Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility
Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window
18 months post-publication
18m citation range
28–102
Data source
OpenAlex · Retrieved June 2026
License
CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#3 of 9,422
5618m citations

Global, regional, and national stillbirths at 20 weeks' gestation or longer in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2021: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

GBD 2021 Global Stillbirths CollaboratorsThe Lancet202410.1016/s0140-6736(24)01925-1

GBD 2021 Global Stillbirths CollaboratorsInstitute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, United States

stillbirthgestational age thresholds20 weeks' gestation28 weeks' gestationGlobal Burden of Disease Study 2021neonatal mortality ratestillbirth ratespatiotemporal Gaussian process regressionvital registration systemsSocio-demographic Indexsouth Asiasub-Saharan AfricaMiscarriagematernal health coveragedata quality constraintsstillbirth definitionsstillbirth-to-neonatal mortality ratio
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#4 of 9,422
4318m citations

Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes and Long-Term Mortality in Women

Casey Crump et al.JAMA Internal Medicine202410.1001/jamainternmed.2024.0276

Casey CrumpThe University of Texas Health Science Center, United States

Adverse pregnancy outcomesPreterm birthPreeclampsiaSmall for gestational ageGestational diabetes mellitusHypertensive disorders of pregnancyLong-term mortalityall-cause mortalitycause-specific mortalityCardiovascular mortalitySwedish Medical Birth RegisterCox regressionCo-sibling analysishazard ratiosshared familial factorscardiometabolic disorderspreventive evaluationchronic disease risk stratification
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#5 of 9,422
4318m citations

Acetyl-CoA metabolism maintains histone acetylation for syncytialization of human placental trophoblast stem cells

Xin Yu et al.Cell stem cell202410.1016/j.stem.2024.07.003

Hongmei Wang, Yanling Wang, Ng Shyh‐ChangState Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, China

Acetyl-CoA metabolismhistone acetylationsyncytializationTrophoblast stem cellstrophoblast differentiationSyncytiotrophoblastepigenetic regulationmetabolic control of differentiationacetyl-CoA availabilitychromatin modifications
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#6 of 9,422
4218m citations

Human uterine natural killer cells regulate differentiation of extravillous trophoblast early in pregnancy

Qian Li et al.Cell stem cell202410.1016/j.stem.2023.12.013

Qian Li, Roser Vento‐Tormo, Margherita Y. Turco, Ashley MoffettUniversity of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Uterine natural killer cellsExtravillous trophoblastTrophoblast organoidsDeciduaSingle-cell RNA sequencingtrophoblast differentiationinvasive trophoblast pathwayuNK cell-derived cytokine signalPlacentationPreeclampsiamaternal-fetal immune interactionsTrophoblast invasionprimary tissue samplesin vitro modelingtranscriptional programsreproductive successPregnancy complications
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#7 of 9,422
4218m citations

Single-nucleus multi-omic profiling of human placental syncytiotrophoblasts identifies cellular trajectories during pregnancy

Meijiao Wang, Yawei Liu, Run Sun, Fenting Liu et al.Nature Genetics202410.1038/s41588-023-01647-w

Rong Li, Falong Lu, Zhenyu Xiao, Hongmei WangChinese Academy of Sciences, China

SyncytiotrophoblastSingle-nucleus RNA sequencingsingle-nucleus ATAC sequencinghuman placentaSTB nuclei heterogeneitydevelopmental trajectoriesTrophoblast stem cellshTSC-derived STBGene regulatory networksTrophoblast organoidsearly pregnancylate pregnancytranscription factorsSTB nuclear lineagesmulti-omic profilingPregnancy complications
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#8 of 9,422
4118m citations

Trophoblast stem cell-based organoid models of the human placental barrier

Takeshi Hori et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-45279-y

Hirokazu KajiTokyo Medical and Dental University, Japan

Trophoblast stem cellsTrophoblast organoidsChorionic villiSyncytiotrophoblastPlacental barriertransplacental passage of xenobioticssyndecan 1Transepithelial/transendothelial electrical resistanceHuman chorionic gonadotropinapparent permeability coefficientscolumn-type ST barrier modelcompound transfer evaluationplacental toxicity testingIn vitro placental model
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#10 of 9,422
3618m citations

Single-cell assessment of primary and stem cell-derived human trophoblast organoids as placenta-modeling platforms

Matthew J Shannon et al.Developmental Cell202410.1016/j.devcel.2024.01.023

Alexander G. BeristainBritish Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Canada

single-cell assessmentTrophoblast organoidsprimary trophoblaststem cell-derived trophoblastIn vitro placental modeltrophoblast differentiationorganoid platformsSingle-cell RNA sequencingTrophoblast stem cellsplacental developmentcytotrophoblastSyncytiotrophoblastExtravillous trophoblastorganoid characterization
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#11 of 9,422
3418m citations

Deciphering maternal-fetal cross-talk in the human placenta during parturition using single-cell RNA sequencing

Valeria Garcia-Flores et al.Science Translational Medicine202410.1126/scitranslmed.adh8335

Roberto Romero, Roger Piqué-Regi, Nardhy Gomez‐LopezEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, United States

Single-cell RNA sequencinghuman placentaterm labormaternal-fetal cross-talkfetal stromal cellsDeciduachorioamniotic membranesfetal myeloid cellsmaternal myeloid cellsCell-cell communicationCXCL pathwayTNF pathwaygalectin pathwayIL-6 pathwaycollagen pathwaySpontaneous preterm birthpreterm birth predictionmaternal circulation signaturesPreterm premature rupture of membranesplacenta-derived biomarkers
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#12 of 9,422
3318m citations

A spatiotemporal transcriptomic atlas of mouse placentation

Yanting Wu, Kaizhen Su, Ying Zhang, Langchao Liang et al.Cell Discovery202410.1038/s41421-024-00740-6

Yanting Wu, Ying Zhang, Ya Gao, Ya Gao, Hefeng HuangFudan University, China

Stereo-seqMouse Placentation Spatiotemporal Transcriptomic Atlas (MPSTA)ectoplacental conetrophoblast differentiationlabyrinth regionspatiotemporal ligand-receptor interaction analysisplacental angiogenesispaternally expressed genesEndothelial cellsinvasion fronttranscription factor regulonsAtf3JunJunbStat6maternal high-fat dietinflammatory responsesangiogenic homeostasistrophectodermDecidua
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#13 of 9,422
3118m citations

Placenta accreta spectrum disorder at single-cell resolution: a loss of boundary limits in the decidua and endothelium

Yalda Afshar et al.American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology202410.1016/j.ajog.2023.10.001

Yalda AfsharUniversity of California, Los Angeles, United States

Placenta accreta spectrumSingle-cell RNA sequencingSpatial transcriptomicsMaternal-fetal interfaceDeciduaendothelial-stromal populationsCOL3A1EGFL6HGFDLK1PECAM1BMP5SPP1extracellular matrix alterations10× ChromiumNanoString GeoMX Digital Spatial ProfilerRNAscope in situ hybridizationintraplacental tropismadherent versus nonadherent sitesloss of boundary limits
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#14 of 9,422
3118m citations

Mediating Factors in the Association of Maternal Educational Level With Pregnancy Outcomes

Tormod Rogne et al.JAMA Network Open202410.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.51166

Tormod RogneDepartment of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, United States

maternal educational attainmentPregnancy outcomemendelian randomizationtwo-sample mendelian randomizationCardiometabolic risk factorstype 2 diabetesbody mass indexsmokingHigh-density lipoprotein cholesterolsystolic blood pressureectopic pregnancyhyperemesis gravidarumGestational diabetes mellitusPreeclampsiaPreterm birthBirth weightmediation analysismultivariable mendelian randomizationGenome-wide association studysingle-nucleotide variants
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#15 of 9,422
3118m citations

Term planned delivery based on fetal growth assessment with or without the cerebroplacental ratio in low-risk pregnancies (RATIO37): an international, multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial

Marta Rial-Crestelo et al.The Lancet202410.1016/s0140-6736(23)02228-6

F. FiguerasBCNatal-Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, Spain

term planned deliveryfetal growth assessmentcerebroplacental ratiolow-risk pregnanciesRATIO37 trialmulticentre randomised controlled trialdelivery timingDoppler ultrasoundSmall for gestational ageperinatal outcomesumbilical artery Dopplermiddle cerebral artery Dopplerfetal surveillanceelective induction of labour
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#16 of 9,422
3118m citations

Spatial multiomic landscape of the human placenta at molecular resolution

Johain R Ounadjela, Ke Zhang, Koseki J Kobayashi-Kirschvink, Kang Jin, Andrew J C Russell, Andreas I Lackner et al.Nature Medicine202410.1038/s41591-024-03073-9

Fei Chen, Sandra Haider, Jian ShuMassachusetts General Hospital, United States

human placentaSpatial multiomicsmolecular resolutionSpatial transcriptomicsspatial proteomicsplacental architecturetrophoblast subtypesvillous structureMaternal-fetal interfaceDeciduaSyncytiotrophoblastcytotrophoblastExtravillous trophoblastplacental cell atlastissue microenvironmentcellular nichesPregnancy complicationsplacental developmentimmune cell populations
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#17 of 9,422
3018m citations

Longitudinal intravital imaging of mouse placenta

Xiaoyi Zhu et al.Science Advances202410.1126/sciadv.adk1278

Xiaoyi Zhu, Qiang Huang, Laiming Jiang, Xiling Shen, Junjie YaoDuke University, United States

implantable placenta windowmouse placentaintravital imagingphotoacoustic microscopyfluorescence imagingplacental developmentultrafast functional photoacoustic microscopyalcohol consumption responsecardiac arrest responseinflammation modelviral gene deliverysingle-cell imagingchemical diffusionPregnancy complicationsspatiotemporal imaginglongitudinal imaging
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#18 of 9,422
3018m citations

Gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia as the risk factors of preeclampsia

Farah Aziz et al.Scientific Reports202410.1038/s41598-024-56790-z

Farah AzizKing Khalid University, Saudi Arabia

Gestational diabetes mellitusPreeclampsiaHypertensive disorders of pregnancydyslipidemiaproteinuriaOral glucose tolerance test2 h OGTT glucose levelssystolic blood pressurediastolic blood pressuretotal cholesteroltriglycerideHigh-density lipoprotein cholesterolLDL-Curinary albumin creatinine ratioGlucose intolerancehyperlipidemiaC-peptide
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#20 of 9,422
2818m citations

Placental IGFBP1 levels during early pregnancy and the risk of insulin resistance and gestational diabetes

Marie-France Hivert et al.Nature Medicine202410.1038/s41591-024-02936-5

Marie‐France HivertHarvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, United States

IGFBP1insulin resistanceGestational diabetes mellitusinsulin sensitivityplacental transcriptomicscirculating IGFBP1 protein levelsdecidual sourceearly pregnancy biomarkerGDM predictionglycemic physiology of pregnancyplacental IGFBP1 deficiency26 weeks gestationpostpartum decline
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Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 for Pregnancy and Preeclampsia Studies is firmly anchored in the physiological and clinical challenges of complicated pregnancies. Preeclampsia and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy emerge as the most prominent topics, underscoring the critical need to understand and manage these life-threatening conditions. Additionally, there is a strong focus on the decidua, highlighting research into the maternal-fetal interface, and gestational diabetes mellitus, emphasizing the broader metabolic impacts of pregnancy. The prominence of these interconnected themes reflects a concerted effort within the field to address both the immediate and systemic complications of pregnancy to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Leading research themes
Leading research themes

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026 reveals a distinct shift toward chronic disease management and underlying molecular mechanisms. The most significant surges were seen in research concerning chronic hypertension, oxidative stress, and antioxidant defenses. This points to a growing recognition of the long-term cardiovascular risks associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and a deeper investigation into cellular stress responses. Conversely, research explicitly focused on preterm birth and small for gestational age saw relative declines. Together, these trends suggest the field is increasingly prioritizing the study of chronic maternal conditions and molecular pathways over traditional neonatal outcome metrics.

How topics shifted year over year
How topics shifted year over year
Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodologyGitHubbioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/pregnancy-and-preeclampsia-studies/2026. Accessed 2026-07-19.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459