Inflammatory mediators in the development of preeclampsia and pre-term birth.

Summary Preeclampsia, pre-term birth and still birth are severe conditions affecting 10-15% of pregnancies worldwide. There are no treatments. This project will identify how these diseases develop and may lead to the development of new therapeutic targets.

Project Details

Preeclampsia, pre-term birth and still birth are severe conditions affecting 10-15% of pregnancies worldwide. They are leading causes of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity. However, alarmingly there are no pharmacological treatment options and no predictive biomarkers. We have identified inflammatory mediators may play a role in preeclampsia initiation and progression, and the development of pre-term birth and resultant still birth. This project will determine the role of inflammatory factors in the development of these conditions using both in vitro and newly developed in vivo models. Successful candidates will use a range of laboratory methods including tissue culture, molecular biology, Western blot and fluorescent imaging. Additionally in vivo models will be used in MSc and PhD studies.