Wellbeing of Women

2005 Grants

Combinations of maternal KIR and fetal HLA-C genes in recurrent miscarriage. Dr Ashley Moffett and Professor Lesley Regan, University of Cambridge and St Mary's Hospital London £90,284 over 2 years

LAY TITLE: How do the combinations of maternal and paternal immune genes influence the risk of recurrent miscarriage?

For the developing embryo to implant correctly, placental cells need to invade into the mother’s uterus to access the maternal blood supply in a controlled manner. This invasion goes wrong in many women with recurrent miscarriage. This study will ‘tissue type’ two different sets of immune system genes which will be taken from normal women and their fetus, and those undergoing recurrent miscarriages, to determine the role of these genes in early pregnancy loss.

This is the first study that has looked at how combinations of paternal and maternal immune system genes may determine whether a pregnancy has a good or a bad outcome.

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