Graham J Burton
Professor of Reproductive Biology, Tel: +44 (0)1223
333856, Fax: +44 (0)1223 333840, E-mail:
gjb2@cam.ac.uk
Research summary
Our focus is on human placental development, and the involvement
of the placenta in complications of pregnancy such as miscarriage,
intrauterine growth restriction and pre-eclampsia. In particular,
we are interested in the effects of oxygen, hypoxia and oxidative
stress on trophoblast differentiation and function. This interest
stems from our finding, in collaboration with Eric Jauniaux,
that there is a threefold increase in the oxygen concentration
at the end of the first trimester as a result of the onset of
the maternal arterial circulation to the placenta. We have demonstrated
that prior to this time the embryo is supported by secretions
from the endometrial glands.
Our research has shown that fluctuations in oxygenation are particularly damaging to the trophoblast. Recent work has elucidated signalling pathways activated by that stress, leading to changes in gene transcript profiles and cytokine secretion that may stimulate the development of pre-eclampsia. We have also provided the first evidence that the syncytiotrophoblast is vulnerable to endoplasmic reticulum stress, and that this plays a major role in the pathophysiology of the reduced placental growth and endocrine activity seen in cases of intrauterine growth restriction. We are currently investigating how this impaired placental function may affect developmental programming of the fetus.
We have a number of highly productive collaborations both within and outside the Centre.
Key recent publications
The Placenta and Human Developmental Programming. (2010)
Eds. Burton, G.J., Barker, D.J.P., Moffett, A. and Thornburg, K.
Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, pp. 246.
Burton, G.J., Jauniaux, E. and Charnock-Jones, D.S. (2010). The influence of the intrauterine environment on human placental development. Int J Dev Biol, 54, 303-312.
Burton, G.J. (2009) Oxygen the Janus gas; its effects on human placental development and function. J Anat, 215, 27-35.
Burton, G.J., Woods, A.W., Jauniaux, E. and Kingdom, J.C.P. (2009) Rheological and physiological consequences of conversion of the maternal spiral arteries for uteroplacental blood flow during human pregnancy. Placenta, 30, 473-482.
Yung, H-W, Calabrese, S., Hynx, D., Hemmings, B.A., Cetin, I., Charnock-Jones, D.S. and Burton, G.J. (2008) Evidence of placental translation inhibition and endoplasmic reticulum stress in the etiology of human intrauterine growth restriction. Am J Pathol, 173, 451-462.
Funding: Wellcome Trust Programme grant, Anatomical Society, Action Medical Research, MRC, Evelyn Trust
Web profile: http://www.pdn.cam.ac.uk/staff/burton/
