Placental Biology in Health and Disease

Pre-eclampsia (PET) is a condition characterised by high blood pressure and damage to other organs, and is a leading cause of maternal and fetal complications such as fetal growth restriction (FGR). Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) involves abnormal blood sugar levels during pregnancy and can have both short and long-term impacts on the health of the mother and child. Both conditions are linked to placental dysfunction but the precise mechanisms behind these links remain unclear. A major focus of this study is on extracellular vesicles (EVs) which are tiny, bubble-like particles released by the placenta into the mother's and baby's bloodstreams. These EVs act as messengers, carrying proteins, lipids and genetic material that can influence how cells function, even in parts of the body far from the placenta. Notably, the number and content of these EVs change in conditions like PET and GDM, suggesting they may play a role in the development of these complications. This single-site, observational, laboratory study aims to investigate how these EVs contribute to maternal health and disease. To enable analysis across different physiological and pathological conditions pregnant participants with healthy pregnancies, pregnancies predisposed to PET and pregnancies complicated by GDM, FGR and PET will be recruited alongside healthy non-pregnant controls. Recruitment will be from the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and the Nuffield Department of Women's and Reprod…

This description comes directly from the study's public registry record.

Professor Manu Vatish  ·  +441865 221009  ·  manu.vatish@wrh.ox.ac.uk

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