Saakshi Bangera, DY Patil School of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics
Researchers from Queen Mary University of UCL and London have reported that fetal membranes are capable of healing after injury in a new study. For the normal development of the baby in the womb, the integrity of fetal membranes that enclose the fetus is important. These membranes can be wounded due to an infection, or after fetal surgery. Diagnostic tests such as amniocentesis can also damage the fetal membrane.
Work of the team
The research team including clinicians and scientists from Singapore and Belgium created small ruptures in the human fetal membrane by using a needle. This was done in order to mimic the damage caused during surgery. Some days after the injury, the scientists discovered a group of cells namely – myofibroblasts (MFs) which crawled towards the wound. These cells play an important role in the wound healing process and were found to migrate towards the edges of the wound into the injury site. The myofibroblasts produced collagen and started to drag the edges of the wound towards them. This process resulted in contracting the tissues together and repaired the wound.
Previous study
The team’s previous work highlighted the importance of Connexin 43 – a protein that functions in the process of wound repair and healing. In this particular study, the researchers display that Connexin 43 was expressed by amniotic mesenchymal cells and MFs. Both these cell populations showed differences with respect to localization and levels of the protein Cx43 (Connexin 43). They also figured that the overexpression of this protein influenced the ability of cells to crawl into the wound site.
Before these findings, it was always assumed that small wounds like the ones described above rarely heal by themselves. Dr Tina Chowdhury – lecturer in Regenerative Medicine at Queen Mary emphasizes that the Cx43 has different effects on different cells.
Significance of the study
Preterm labour rupture of the membranes (PPROM) – the premature rupture of the fetal membrane is a chief cause of preterm birth. Preterm birth accounts for approximately 40% of early infant death. The study demonstrates that the successful repair of fetal membranes could reduce complications during childbirth and pregnancy. The study’s findings are a huge step towards treating women suffering from PPROM.
Also read: LEAD: A low-cost Covid testing method using pencil graphite
References
Mary, Q., & London, U. of. (n.d.). Researchers uncover new evidence that fetal membranes can repair themselves after injury. Retrieved August 18, 2021, from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2021-08-uncover-evidence-fetal-membranes-injury.html
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About the author: The author is currently pursuing MSc in Biotechnology from DY Patil School of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics. She believes that she doesn’t have a specific area of interest yet. She wishes to explore food biotechnology and nutrigenomic. She’s quite passionate about Biotechnology and aims to grab every opportunity she comes across.
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