Scientists have identified genetic errors in women with autoimmune diseases that increase the risk of preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening condition that occurs in 10 percent of all pregnancies.The researchers also found the same mutations in some women with preeclampsia who don't have underlying autoimmune diseases. Their findings provide genetic targets for new treatments and suggest that screening tests could one day identify women at risk of the condition, which accounts for fifteen percent of all preterm births.
Preeclampsia typically develops after the 20th week of pregnancy. It causes dangerously high blood pressure, protein in the urine, headaches and swelling of a mother's hands and face. The only treatment is to induce delivery, which can be fatal to the baby if preeclampsia strikes too early in pregnancy.Preeclampsia results from a breakdown of the placenta, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to the baby. If the condition is not treated, preeclampsia can lead to seizures, strokes, kidney and liver damage and breathing problems that threaten the lives of both mother and baby.
In a recent study, 250 women with lupus and/or with similar conditions. Out of 250, forty women either developed preeclampsia, or suffered from it from previous pregnancies. Also, researchers found that in these forty women, at seven of them had mutations for three genes that code for your immune system's response for injury and infection.
I think this could be a genetic break through. Finding out the gene for this condition, and some how mutating it in a way so that the fetus will not carry it would be amazing. This can lead to deleting genes for other disorders as well.
I think this is definitely a success in genetics. It is interesting that genes linked to the immune system can also be linked to this pregnancy condition. Hopefully, this breakthrough could help prevent and treat this condition in the future and avoid some of the causes for preterm babies.
ReplyDeleteHopefully by discovering the gene that causes the preeclampsia; it will lead to further discoveries of genes that cause fatal pregnancies and preventing those disorders. By preventing these fatal genes in fetus'; we will then be able to save more premature births.
ReplyDeleteIt would be great if they manage to figure out which genes causes the preeclampsia. Perhaps in the future, the gene could be turned off if the mother does get preeclampsia too early to allow the baby to develop further and then turn it back on if necessary. This isnt as far fetched as it sounds since scientists have already managed to do the gene turning off and on in mice. If so, then the lives of a lot of babies could be saved this way.
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