Studying how blood vessels in the womb adapt in pregnancy to supply the growing baby

Stanniocalcin-1 and vascular remodelling at the maternal/fetal interface (Miss Alexa Bishop)

The placenta acts as a baby’s lungs and stomach while in the womb, supplying food and oxygen from the mother’s blood. Early in pregnancy the blood vessels to the womb change in structure and increase in size to supply enough blood to the growing baby. If this doesn’t happen the baby is born smaller than it should be. This is important because small babies can have difficulties, and are more likely to develop heart disease and high blood pressure when adults. These researchers are working to understand exactly how blood vessels adapt to increase blood supply to the womb. They have discovered that cells from the placenta, called trophoblasts, can alter levels of a chemical called stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) in cells of the blood vessels. STC1 is a very important chemical in the circulatory system, so they intend work out what STC1 does in pregnancy and exactly how its levels are regulated. Many children in the UK are at risk of developing heart disease as adults because they grew poorly in the womb. By investigating how blood supply to the womb is controlled, the researchers hope to pave the way towards better diagnosis and treatments to enable more children to live longer, healthier lives.