The placenta is essential for fetal-maternal exchange and healthy pregnancy however the factors that are required for the placenta to form are poorly understood. We will investigate how the placenta develops in mice and which are the most important factors that are required for a health placenta to form.
Cell-cell fusion is critical for the development and transport capacity of the placenta during pregnancy. Impairments in this process occur in pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia (PE). We have identified a novel pathway (LY6E) regulating placental cell-cell fusion which is also dysregulated in human pregnancies complicated by PE. In the current proposal we will investigate the mechanisms by which LY6E mediates cell-cell fusion and examine its role in the development of PE.
The Role Of Vitamin D In Placental Development And Pregnancy Success
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$723,235.00
Summary
Vitamin D deficiency affects about 1 billion people worldwide, including up to 80% of Australians depending on age, skin colour and sun exposure. Vitamin D deficiency has now been associated with a large number of common diseases of aging and with pregnancy complications. This proposal will use human pregnancy serum and placenta, as well as mouse gene knockout models, to determine the hitherto unknown roles of vitamin D in development of the placenta and health of mother and baby.