Stillbirth is a global public health problem affecting 3 million babies annually. In Australia, almost 3,000 stillbirths occur each year, many of which are preventable if the pregnancy is recognised as being at risk. This fellowship will develop novel non-invasive techniques to identify these at risk pregnancies using biomarkers in the mother's blood and cutting edge imaging. The efficacy of these novel techniques to prevent stillbirths and improve pregnancy outcomes will then be assessed.
Developing Molecularly Targeted Therapeutics And Diagnostics For Pregnancy Complications
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$321,489.00
Summary
Pregnancy complications still causes the death of mothers, and their babies. During this fellowship, we will be developing new treatments and clinical tests for three important complications of pregnancy. We will run clinical trials of a new medication based treatment to cure ectopic pregnancies. We will also develop a blood test that can identify those babies still in the womb but suffering dangerously low oxygen levels. Lastly, we will develop drugs to treat preeclampsia, a serious condition o ....Pregnancy complications still causes the death of mothers, and their babies. During this fellowship, we will be developing new treatments and clinical tests for three important complications of pregnancy. We will run clinical trials of a new medication based treatment to cure ectopic pregnancies. We will also develop a blood test that can identify those babies still in the womb but suffering dangerously low oxygen levels. Lastly, we will develop drugs to treat preeclampsia, a serious condition of pregnancy.Read moreRead less
Measuring Hypoxia Induced MRNA In Maternal Blood To Monitor Wellbeing Of Growth-restricted Fetuses
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$421,358.00
Summary
Severely growth restricted fetuses are at peril of stillbirth from low oxygenation. While ultrasound monitoring improves outcomes, babies are still lost. Better ways to monitor the health the unborn baby are needed. We have recently discovered fetuses’ starved of oxygen leak RNA into mother's blood. Thus, measuring RNA molecules in blood could be used to assess fetal health. We will examine whether measuring mRNA in maternal blood could be used to monitor wellbeing of growth-restricted fetuses.
Working Towards A New Therapy For The Prevention Of Restricted Fetal Growth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$711,356.00
Summary
If a baby does not grow properly during pregnancy there can be serious health problems when it is born. We also know that small babies have life long risks of poorer health. We have no effective therapies for improving a baby's growth. This application aims to discover a treatment that can help babies grow. This would be an important advance in improving the health of our future Australians.
Creatine Supplementation In Pregnancy: Utilising Cells’ “Built-In” Energy Buffering System
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
Through pregnancy, the placenta transfers oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the baby. When a placenta doesn’t function properly a baby’s health is compromised. This can lead to morbidity or death. Creatine is the “back-up generator” of all cells and could help the failing placenta increase nutrient and oxygen delivery to the baby. This study will develop creatine as a potential new therapeutic, to improve the survival of babies of complicated pregnancies.
The Cardiovascular Toll Of Pre-eclampsia: Determining Impacts On The Maternal, Fetal And Placental Vasculature.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$128,224.00
Summary
Pre-eclampsia is a common condition of pregnancy that causes a rise in blood pressure, protein in the urine and damage to other organs. It can cause significant harm to the mother and baby. In the long term, mums who have had pre-eclampsia are at a higher risk of developing heart problems. We want to explore how the heart changes in a pregnancy complicated by pre-eclampsia, and see if these changes can help us predict pregnancy risk and long term outcomes.
Pathways Of Neurosteroid-mediated Protection Following Compromised Pregnancy And Preterm Birth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$565,785.00
Summary
The hormonal environment of pregnancy is essential for normal development of the fetal brain. Levels of key hormones fall following premature birth and are further suppressed if the fetus is small or subjected to stress. This leads developmental problems in infants from the pregnancies. This project will examine effectiveness of replacement and supplementation treatments with critical neurosteroid hormones in reversing the adverse neurological effects of these complications of pregnancy.
Antenatal Insulin-like Growth Factor-I And Perinatal Growth, Survival And Function Of The Growth Restricted Fetus.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,370.00
Summary
Poor growth before birth or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), as indicated by being light, short or thin for stage of pregnancy, greatly increases the risk of illness and death before and after birth and in infancy. IUGR has increased risks of asphyxia, poor glucose control, hypothermia, respiratory difficulties, neurological problems and poor immune function, many of which persist. IUGR is one of the most common clinical problems in obstetrics and neonatology, with ~6% of infants born IUG ....Poor growth before birth or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), as indicated by being light, short or thin for stage of pregnancy, greatly increases the risk of illness and death before and after birth and in infancy. IUGR has increased risks of asphyxia, poor glucose control, hypothermia, respiratory difficulties, neurological problems and poor immune function, many of which persist. IUGR is one of the most common clinical problems in obstetrics and neonatology, with ~6% of infants born IUGR in Australia in non-Aboriginal communities and between 7 to 17% in Aboriginal communities. Despite these adverse consequences for health of the individual throughout life, we do not currently have any effective therapies to treat IUGR. Small infants are mostly a result of an inadequate supply of oxygen and nutrients before birth, due to an impaired capacity of the mother to acquire these for the placenta to deliver them to the growing fetus or due to poor functioning of the placenta itself. This intrauterine malnutrition not only slows growth, but impairs the development of a range of body functions leading to the increased risk of illness and death in IUGR. Therapies to be used before birth to treat IUGR need to either restore supply of oxygen and nutrients or to promote growth and functional development. We have discovered that administration of a major growth promoting hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), to the IUGR fetus, which has low levels of IGF-I, increases its growth. This project will therefore determine if directly giving this hormone in the IUGR fetus will restore development as well as growth before birth, improving function and hence survival and health after birth. If successful, the first effective approach to the antenatal treatment of IUGR will have been identified and would provide the essential knowledge for the design of a range of therapies to best restore the abundance of IGF within the IUGR fetus to improve perinatal and later outcomes.Read moreRead less
The Role Of Proteoglycans In Contributing To Placental Thrombosis And Fetal Growth Restriction
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,269.00
Summary
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a pregnancy complication in which the baby doesn�t grow properly in the womb. Growth restricted babies are much more likely to be stillborn. These babies are also at risk of problems later in life such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease. This study investigates molecules in the placenta that may be responsible for causing FGR. If we can understand how these molecules cause the problem of FGR, we may be able to find better ways of treating or preventing it.
Improving The Prediction And Detection Of Contributors To Term Stillbirth
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$570,358.00
Summary
Stillbirths are a global human tragedy, with 1 in 130 of all pregnancies in Australia ending in stillbirth. We propose to use ultrasound and blood markers to improve the detection of babies who are not growing well, a leading risk factor for stillbirth. Sleep position has also been associated with stillbirth, so we will study fetal heart rate responses during an overnight sleep study to see if breathing events overnight may be an important contributor to stillbirth in growth restricted fetuses.