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

*PRI Rank #6 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/pregnancy-and-preeclampsia-studies/2026/rank-6*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #6 |
| 18m citations | 42 |
| Journal | Cell stem cell |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.stem.2023.12.013 |
| Corresponding authors | Qian Li, Roser Vento‐Tormo, Margherita Y. Turco, Ashley Moffett |
| Institution | University of Cambridge, United Kingdom |

**Ranking page:** [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)

**Paper link:** [10.1016/j.stem.2023.12.013](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2023.12.013)

## Topics

Uterine natural killer cells · Extravillous trophoblast · Trophoblast organoids · Decidua · Single-cell RNA sequencing · trophoblast differentiation · invasive trophoblast pathway · uNK cell-derived cytokine signal · Placentation · Preeclampsia · maternal-fetal immune interactions · Trophoblast invasion · primary tissue samples · in vitro modeling · transcriptional programs · reproductive success · Pregnancy complications

## 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 2026-07-21.

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
```