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<\/a>\u201cThe placenta, although transient and typically discarded after pregnancy, is an organ that is so critical to ensuring healthy babies,\u201d says\u00a0Jenna Schmidt<\/a>, a scientist who studies placental function, infertility and reproduction at the University of Wisconsin\u2013Madison. \u201cPlacental insufficiency contributes to poor nutrient and oxygen transport to the fetus and low birth weight, but there is currently no way to treat the placenta.\u201d<\/p>\n A poor environment in the womb can also lead to problems in adult life, such as cardiovascular disease and neurocognitive developmental conditions, according to Schmidt. Risk factors for placental insufficiency can include high blood pressure, preeclampsia, diabetes and smoking, but in many cases placental insufficiency has no identifiable cause.<\/p>\n Schmidt, a research assistant professor at UW\u2013Madison\u2019s\u00a0Wisconsin National Primate Research Center<\/a>, collaborates with University of Florida placenta research expert\u00a0Helen Jones<\/a>\u00a0on strategies for improving the outcomes of pregnancies complicated by placental insufficiency.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we can improve placental function to better support growth and development, could we extend those pregnancies to term with the outcome of healthier babies at birth and throughout their lives?\u201d Schmidt asks.<\/p>\n Jones and her lab \u2014 with the help of AI platforms to identify targets for treatment \u2014 developed a nanoparticle loaded with a small strand of DNA that encodes for a human protein called IGF-1. IGF-1 signaling is important for normal placental development. In pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction there are lower levels of this protein, contributing to smaller birthweights and the increased risk of adult diseases.<\/p>\n The researchers injected the nanoparticles into the placentas of pregnant monkeys at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, and found that the DNA strands were successfully taken up and expressed in the animals\u2019 placentas within 24 hours without harm to the animals or their developing fetuses and without signs of off-target effects.\u00a0They published their results recently in the journal Molecular Human Reproduction.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOur studies so far in mice and guinea pig models of placental insufficiency are very encouraging,\u201d says Jones, whose work is supported by the National Institutes of Health\u2019s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Development. \u201cAnd now, with this pilot study demonstrating no detrimental impact in normal non-human primate pregnancies, we are excited to continue to optimize and further target this therapy.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones knew that to move the research toward clinical impact, safety studies were necessary in the rhesus macaque model of human pregnancy.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was the first study to test this treatment in macaques and it worked,\u201d Schmidt says. \u201cThe transgene was indeed expressed and there was no immune reaction from mom. We saw a signal of the transgene\u2019s expression as far as 10 days after treatment, which was really encouraging. Maybe that could translate into a nanotherapy infusion every two weeks in humans after mid-pregnancy. That is usually when doctors see that the fetus is smaller than normal through ultrasound diagnoses. But there is a lot more work to do before we can move this into human trials.\u201d<\/p>\n The researchers\u2019 next step in rhesus macaques is to extend the therapy through the third trimester of pregnancy, and ultimately to measure the impact on mother and fetus through birth.<\/p>\n \u201cOur goal is to improve placental function, extend pregnancies, and see more healthy babies and adults,\u201d Schmidt says.<\/p>\n The research was supported by the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center Pilot Awards Program through National Institutes of Health grants P51OD011106 and R01HD113327.<\/em><\/p>\n Written by Jordana Lenon<\/p>\n
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