02/11/2006

Wellbeing of Women, the charity dedicated to health problems that only affect women, has awarded a Research Training Fellowship of over £149,000 to Dr Caroline Daelemans at the UCL Institute of Child Health, London to screen the human placenta for new imprinted genes.

There are about 20,000 different genes in the human body and most of these show expression from the copies inherited from both parents. A small group of genes are different in the way they work, and are only active from one parental copy - they are called ‘imprinted genes’. Imprinted genes have been shown to be very important in placental development and may be critical in nutrient transfer and fetal growth in utero.

Intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) is one of the three major causes of perinatal and childhood mortality and morbidity, with more than 3 babies out of every 100 born being affected. The effects are wide reaching, with chronic and serious medical problems from birth through infancy to adulthood. Currently the understanding of the underlying origin and development of IUGR is limited and a number of factors have been shown to play an important role, including genetics.

Commenting on the research, Dr Daelemans said, “This study will use novel molecular techniques to find new imprinted genes in the human placenta. It is hoped that this will lead to a better understanding of imprinting and the role of these genes in normal and abnormal fetal growth.”

The charity’s Director, Liz Campbell said; “These awards are particularly important in encouraging medical graduates to pursue obstetrics and gynaecology at a time when different specialties are competing for the brightest and best. Research Training Fellowships are just one way that Wellbeing of Women makes a valuable contribution to the development of tomorrow’s innovative medical leaders.”

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