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Bench To Beside Translational Studies To Develop Treatments For Preeclampsia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$265,138.00
Summary
Preeclampsia is a common, devastating complication of pregnancy responsible for the loss of countless mothers and babies. There is no medical treatment. Excitingly we have identified 2 medications, safe in pregnancy: metformin and sulfasalazine that may treat this disease. We plan to introduce these medications into the clinic to see whether they may be an effective treatment for preeclampsia. If successful, these medications have the potential to improve the lives of women and babies globally.
I am a perinatal epidemiologist and public health physician working in pregnancy and child birth research to improve the health and well-being of mothers and babies. My research encompasses the use of population health data to evaluate perinatal health a
Prediction And Prevention Of Spontaneous Preterm Birth: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis Comprising Of Prognostic And Therapeutic Data
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,118,718.00
Summary
Spontaneous preterm birth is an important issue in obstetric care. Since potential treatments (pessary, progesterone) are available, accurate prediction is of imminent importance. We have established a collaborative network of >100 investigators (IPPIC-2) involved in primary studies with data on more than 1.2 milli women. We will estimate the value of individual clinical, biochemical and ultrasound markers for predicting preterm birth, and integrate that with therapeutic interventions.
Epigenetic Regulation Of Inflammatory Genes In The Fetal Membranes: Role In Term And Preterm Birth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$468,534.00
Summary
Preterm birth is the leading cause of death among newborns and the biggest contributor to disability among infants. Here we propose research to define the mechanism that controls the length of pregnancy and is disrupted in preterm birth. Specifically, we will determine what causes the repression of the labour-promoting inflammatory genes in the uterus during pregnancy and what activates them at labour. We will identify new targets for interventions to block or prevent preterm birth.
Premature birth is a major cause of neonatal death and intellectual and other handicaps among the survivors. While neonatal intensive care has improved the survival of premature babies, there has been no reduction in the number of premature babies born, in fact the numbers are increasing. Our inability to reduce premature birth is partly related to our lack of knowledge of the physiological processes that lead to normal labour. As a result many of our drugs for women in premature labour are not ....Premature birth is a major cause of neonatal death and intellectual and other handicaps among the survivors. While neonatal intensive care has improved the survival of premature babies, there has been no reduction in the number of premature babies born, in fact the numbers are increasing. Our inability to reduce premature birth is partly related to our lack of knowledge of the physiological processes that lead to normal labour. As a result many of our drugs for women in premature labour are not very effective. We have recently identified a novel pathway that regulates the activity of the muscle cells that form the uterus. This project seeks to understand the biochemical processes that change a muscle cell so that it begins to contract actively at the end of pregnancy. Specifically the project will examine two proteins called HSP20 and HSP27. These proteins have recently been reported to play a critical role in the contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle cells in the heart and blood vessels. We have identified for the first time that these proteins are also present in the muscle of the human uterus. It is likely that they play a critical role in regulating the contractions of the uterus. By understanding this process better we may be able to design better treatments to prevent premature birth.Read moreRead less
Premature birth is a major cause of neonatal death and intellectual and other handicaps among the survivors. While neonatal intensive care has improved the survival of premature babies, there has been no reduction in the number of premature babies born, in fact the numbers are increasing. Our inability to reduce premature birth is partly related to our lack of knowledge of the physiological processes that lead to normal labour. As a result many of our drugs for women in premature labour are not ....Premature birth is a major cause of neonatal death and intellectual and other handicaps among the survivors. While neonatal intensive care has improved the survival of premature babies, there has been no reduction in the number of premature babies born, in fact the numbers are increasing. Our inability to reduce premature birth is partly related to our lack of knowledge of the physiological processes that lead to normal labour. As a result many of our drugs for women in premature labour are not very effective. Our work has shown that a hormone called corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) made in the placenta plays a critical role in determining the length of a pregnancy. We have measured the levels of this hormone in the blood of pregnant women and shown that it increases more rapidly than normal in women who deliver prematurely and more slowly than normal in women who deliver late. It acts as a kind of clock to determine the length of pregnancy. What is not known is how this hormone acts to bring on labour. What is particularly puzzling is that some of the actions of the CRH seem likely to cause the uterus to relax rather than to contract. We wish to test the idea that the rapidly rising levels of this hormone in late pregnancy cause changes in the uterus that stop the pathways to relaxation and lead to contraction. To perform these studies we will use small pieces of uterus donated with informed consent from women undergoing caesarean section. The results of these studies may allow us to design better ways of preventing premature birth and prevent many cases of cerebral palsy and intellectual handicap.Read moreRead less
Second Trimester Intra-amniotic Treatment For Early Preterm Birth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$392,420.00
Summary
Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal death and disability in Australia today, with those born before 32 weeks' completed gestation at the highest risk. Preventing these early preterm births requires treatment of the causative uterine infection. This proposal is to conduct the first study of direct intraamniotic antibiotic treatment of uterine Ureaplasma infection in a clinically relevant, large animal model of second trimester pregnancy.
Vaginal Microbial Biomarkers For The Prevention Of Preterm Birth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$579,763.00
Summary
Preterm birth is the leading cause of death and disability in children under 5 years of age. Bacterial infection triggers most preterm births but conventional antibiotic therapies are unsuccessful as a preventative treatment. We have a powerful new treatment, solithromycin, that should eradicate these infections, but to date, we are unable to identify women who would qualify for treatment. This study aims to use vaginal microbiological characteristics to identify early in pregnancy those women