The causes that provoke miscarriages are discovered
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Scientists have discovered molecular signals that control the body's acceptance of the fetus and found that in women who have had several unsuccessful attempts to become pregnant, these molecular signals fail.
Researchers at Imperial College London and Warwick University suggest that these molecular signals can be adjusted with medications, which will be a rescue for those women who are trying to conceive, but whose attempts are unsuccessful and pregnancy again ends in a miscarriage.
Currently, scientists know only a few details about the biological processes that control the moment of embryo introduction into the uterine lining, but they hope that the results of this study will help to learn about these processes more information.
In the latest study of scientists published in the scientific journal PLoS ONE, the researchers studied the chemical signals produced by human cells taken from the uterine mucosa, which experts cultivated artificially in the laboratory. They determined that a key role in this process is played by molecules called IL-33, which cells secrete during the receptive phase and which affects the activity of neighboring cells.
Typically, the effect of IL-33 and other chemical signals on the mucous membrane of the uterus is short-lived. It is these chemical signals that help a woman become pregnant for a certain time.
In cells of women who suffered three or more miscarriages, a high level of IL-33 was detected. These molecules continued to be synthesized for ten days, which indicates that the susceptibility of the uterus in these women is not properly controlled.
The researchers conducted a study in mice and concluded that women who had suffered a miscarriage several times had more time to get pregnant, but at the same time the likelihood of miscarriage was also increasing.
Studies conducted by scientists have shown that a long "fertility window" increases the risk of miscarriage. In addition, experts associate this with inflammation of the uterine mucosa, which threatens the development of a healthy embryo in the womb.
Dr. Madhuri Salker, lead author of the survey, professor at Imperial College London, says: "Our research shows that women who have experienced several miscarriages may have malfunctioning mechanisms that control the uterus, which is a serious obstacle to the course of a normal pregnancy."
According to the researchers, the molecular signals that they found can be involved in a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's, asthma and heart disease.
Experts hope that the proper targeting of these molecules can help in the development of new treatment strategies, as well as in the development of new medications that will help prevent miscarriages.