Nottingham researchers lead world's largest study into pre-eclampsia

  Pregnant woman having her blood pressure checked.
16 May 2012 16:17:32.457
PA 134/12

Researchers from The University of Nottingham are leading the largest ever international research project into the genetics of the potentially fatal condition pre-eclampsia.

The research will aim to provide new insights into the prevention, prediction and treatment of the disease, which kills up to 40,000 women and almost one million babies every year worldwide.

As part of the study, DNA collected from thousands of pregnant women, including many from Nottingham, will be studied in an attempt to find genetic clues which may predict which women are more at risk of developing the illness.
Click here for full story

Dr Linda Morgan, associate professor in The University of Nottingham’s School of Molecular Medical Sciences, said: “We are studying the genes which lead women to develop pre-eclampsia. By understanding which genes cause the disease, it may be possible to prevent pre-eclampsia or improve treatment.”

Pre-eclampsia affects around 5% of pregnancies, developing in the second half of pregnancy, often without warning signs, and is detected when the mother is found to have high blood pressure and protein in her urine.

Fatal consequences

If left untreated, it can have devastating consequences for both mother and child and in the most serious cases can be fatal. It is associated with small babies and premature births and in the mother can lead to convulsions, bleeding and damage to the liver.

Nottingham is co-ordinating theInterPregGen (International Pregnancy Genetics) study, which also involves obstetricians, midwives and geneticists from Finland, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Norway, Uzbekistan and the universities of Leeds and Glasgow, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK.

Funded with a €6m grant from the European Union, the project will run for four-and-a-half years and will aim to develop our understanding of the genetic link which scientists believe plays a major role in pre-eclampsia.

The condition runs in families — a woman whose mother or sister has had pre-eclampsia is at least three time more likely to develop the disease. As babies inherit genes from both parents the study will be looking at the genetic makeup of mother, father and child.

Genetic mechanisms

Once the researchers find a gene that is connected with pre-eclampsia, they can identify in detail what that particular gene does and find out when it is active during pregnancy. The academics will then be able to decide whether it is at work in the mother, baby or the placenta. When they understand the genetic mechanisms influencing the condition, they will be in a better position to prevent and treat it.

It will also help to identify women who are at the highest risk of developing the condition during their pregnancy, so that additional ante-natal care can be provided for them.

As part of the international study, researchers will be undertaking whole genome sequencing of people from Central Asia for the first time, in a similar way to the 1,000 Genomes project, which will also provide long-term biological information for future research in these populations.

— Ends —

 

For up to the minute media alerts, follow us on Twitter

Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011 as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has 40,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘the world’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking 2011.

More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research into global food security.

Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news

 

Story credits

More information is available from Dr Linda Morgan on +44 (0)115 823 0771 linda.morgan@nottingham.ac.uk
 

Emma Thorne Emma Thorne - Media Relations Manager

Email: emma.thorne@nottingham.ac.uk Phone: +44 (0)115 951 5793 Location: University Park

Additional resources

No additional resources for this article

Related articles

Nicotine patches 'ineffective' in pregnancy

Published Date
Thursday 22nd March 2012

IVF procedure can increase clinical pregnancy by 20 per cent

Published Date
Monday 7th October 2013

Passive smoking increases risk to unborn babies

Published Date
Wednesday 9th March 2011

Showcasing Nottingham's postgraduate research

Published Date
Friday 8th June 2012

Media Relations - External Relations

The University of Nottingham
YANG Fujia Building
Jubilee Campus
Wollaton Road
Nottingham, NG8 1BB

telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 5798
email: pressoffice@nottingham.ac.uk