This project is jointly funded by Action Medical Research and Borne.
How are children’s lives affected now?
The placenta supplies oxygen and nutrients to support the baby during pregnancy. If it does not attach and grow (implant) properly into the womb, it can lead to complications such as pre-eclampsia, fetal growth restriction and some types of premature labour.
“Placenta insufficiency is a serious condition where the placenta does not work as well as it should,” says Dr Male. “It can result in babies being born too small or too early, which can lead to loss of life or lifelong disabilities.”
The lining of the womb contains specialised immune cells, called uNK1 cells, which are thought to help the placenta implant during the early stages of pregnancy. However, exactly how they do this is not yet understood.
“We’ve recently discovered that uNK1 cells contain unique granules that we believe may play an important role in successful placental implantation,” says Dr Male.
By understanding this process – and why it sometimes goes wrong – we hope to identify new ways to prevent complications caused by placental insufficiency.
How could this research help?
“We’re aiming to identify what’s inside the uNK1 granules and understand how they may help the placenta implant successfully,” says Dr Male.
The researchers routinely collect samples from the womb lining during early and full-term pregnancies, which they will use as a source of uNK1 cells.
“First, we will isolate the granules from these cells and use cutting-edge technologies to identify the proteins they contain,” says Dr Male. “We will then test whether these proteins help support placental implantation using two different cell-based models.”
The team will also compare uNK1 granules from women who experienced pregnancy complications linked to implantation problems with those from unaffected pregnancies.
"Our findings could ultimately lead to a screening test to identify women at risk of placental insufficiency before or very early in pregnancy," says Dr Male.
This would allow closer monitoring and earlier intervention, helping to prevent serious pregnancy complications and reduce the risk of babies being born too small or too soon.
Research table
Project details
| Project Leader | Dr Victoria Male, BA PhD |
| Location | Imperial College London |
| Project Team | Dr Harry Whitwell, BSc MSc PhD |
| Grant Amount | £229,743 |
| Duration | 36 months |
| Grant Code (GN number) | GN4026 |
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