The Role And Regulation Of Phospholipase Isozymes In The Initiation Of Human Labour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$462,589.00
Summary
Being born too early is the most significant problem facing contemporary clinical obstetrics in the developed world. Preterm birth is the major cause of ill-health and death in newborns, accounting for 85% of all early infant deaths, not secondary to genetic abnormality. In Australia in 1998, more than 17,000 babies were born too early, of these over 10,000 suffered respiratory complications and 1300 died during the first 21 days of life. Even though the likelihood of a premature baby surviving ....Being born too early is the most significant problem facing contemporary clinical obstetrics in the developed world. Preterm birth is the major cause of ill-health and death in newborns, accounting for 85% of all early infant deaths, not secondary to genetic abnormality. In Australia in 1998, more than 17,000 babies were born too early, of these over 10,000 suffered respiratory complications and 1300 died during the first 21 days of life. Even though the likelihood of a premature baby surviving doubles for every two weeks that birth is delayed (between 23 and 28 weeks of gestation), currently there is no treatment available that reliably delays or prevents premature birth. In order to develop clinically useful treatments and improve pregnancy outcome and the well-being of our newborn, it is essential to understand the mechanisms that start the process of labour and delivery. Thus, the overall aim of this project is to increase our understanding of how human labour is initiated and to identify processes that may be manipulated to delay premature birth. In particular, this project focuses on the role and regulation, of what we believe is, a central and common pathway involved in triggering the birth process. This pathway is a known regulator of inflammatory process in the body. Intriguingly, the process of birth displays many of the hallmarks of an inflammatory reaction. Our pilot studies suggest that this pathway is involved in activation many of the events that occur at the time of birth and that further investigation of its role will provide valuable insights in to what triggers human birth. The specific aims of this project are (i) to develop a better understanding of the mechanisms that initiate human labour and (ii) to identify more effectively ways of prevent preterm birth.Read moreRead less
Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Spontaneous Onset Of Human Labour
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$481,156.00
Summary
The single most important complication contributing to poor pregnancy and neonatal outcome is premature birth. If we are to provide the best possible start to life, improve perinatal health and reduce the risk of developing adult disease . A better understanding of labour is requisite to improving health care delivery during pregnancy and outcomes for both mother and baby. This reserach project will investigate the how labour-associated events are reguluated by nuclear proteins.
This project will test if the ratio of the two different estrogens found in the blood of pregnant women is the critical factor in determining the onset of contractions in the uterus at labour. The studies will also determine the role of a newly discovered receptor for estrogens in allowing powerful contractions at labour. Results will allow development of new treatments to prevent premature birth that block the actions of estrogen at this new receptor or change the ratio of the two estrogens.
The Mechanisms That Regulate The Onset Of Human Labour And Delivery
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$528,170.00
Summary
Reproductive biologists still cannot explain the molecular mechanisms that govern human birth. This lack of knowledge prevents the development of better moitoring and treament of complications of labour and delivery. If we are to provide the best possible start to life and improve newborn health care delivery then we must: (1) better understand what triggers labour; (2) determine whether there are biomarkers that we can use to identify women at risk of early birth; and (3) identify new ways to d ....Reproductive biologists still cannot explain the molecular mechanisms that govern human birth. This lack of knowledge prevents the development of better moitoring and treament of complications of labour and delivery. If we are to provide the best possible start to life and improve newborn health care delivery then we must: (1) better understand what triggers labour; (2) determine whether there are biomarkers that we can use to identify women at risk of early birth; and (3) identify new ways to delay birth. This is the overall objective of this research project. In particular, this project focuses on how the multiple events needed to achieve a successful outcome to pregnancy are coordinated at the time of birth.Read moreRead less
Improving And Evaluating The Health Of Mothers And Babies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,848.00
Summary
This research program considers new ways to monitor an unborn baby’s health and to provide better care for childbearing women. Several projects will test the unborn baby’s well being. A new study will consider two forms of cooling treatments to help relieve pain following childbirth. Further research involves studies of the genetics of increased blood pressure in pregnant women and a structured way of looking at existing evidence to consider how well it delivers.
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