Wellbeing of Women

Larty

2003, St Michael's Hospital, Dr Jonathan Lartey

Regulation of uterine contractility by small GTP binding proteins

This project is a complex basic science laboratory based trial. It concerns calcium metabolism inside smooth muscle, the same type of muscle as the uterus.

Various agents and drugs can affect certain proteins inside the muscles and also the calcium level in association with a protein called 'G' protein. Recent work in the laboratory has revealed elevated levels of these substances in pregnant human uterine muscle compared to non-pregnant uterine muscle.

Samples of normal uterine muscle and pregnant uterine muscle in different stages of pregnancy will be evaluated for their different constituents and comparisons made.

This could have a significant effect on pre term delivery i.e. birth before 37 weeks if it can be shown that this is the cause of the problem. Drugs could then be developed that will block pathways which cause patients to go into premature labour and stop the illnesses that mothers and babies have due to pre term labour.