News

Congratulations to Loke CTR members, who published a new paper recently in Cell Stem Cell, highlighting various findings that are significant for both stem cell and developmental biology.The paper, ‘Ectopic expression of DNMT3L in human trophoblast stem cells restores features of the placental methylome’, demonstrates that ectopic expression of the…

A brand new e-book has launched this week ‘Reproduction in a Changing World’. A collaboration between Loke CTR PI Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, with the Society for Reproduction and Fertility, along with other leading researchers and clinical doctors, this e-book creatively illustrates the latest scientific evidence in the field.The e-book is for those a…

Professor Steve Charnock-Jones and Loke CTR collaborators have published their new work: "Single-cell RNA sequencing unveils CXADR as a critical regulator of the placental exchange surface" this week in Nature Communications. Using single-cell RNA sequencing of mouse trophoblast stem cells they identify Nicol1 as a gatekeeper of the stem cell state…

The Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research is thrilled to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Loke CTR PI Professor Ashley Moffett for her award in the New Year Honours 2025 list for services to Women’s Reproductive Health and to Clinical Research and Practice in Africa. As part of the Overseas and International List, Professor Moffett has been a…

Congratulations to Anna Cochrane, a Loke CTR affiliate member and PhD student in the lab of Professor Dino Giussani, who has been selected to represent the University of Cambridge at the Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar this year. Anna's selection is based on the quality of her ongoing PhD work, academic achievement, and international …

Loke CTR scientists have developed a pioneering method to culture marmoset placental cells in the lab, offering new insights into embryo implantation, in research published online this week in Cell Stem Cell. Unlike human embryos, which implant deeply into the uterus, marmoset embryos undergo a much shallower implantation. This research opens up ne…

Centre for Trophoblast Research named in honour of Professor Charlie Y.W. LokeAmanda Louise Kwai-Lin Loke and Charlie Yung Wai Loke (King’s, 1953)The Loke Family are longstanding supporters of placental research at the University of Cambridge. In recognition of the invaluable support from the Loke Family and in honour of Professor Charlie Yung Wai …

A study in mice has found that the bacteria Bifidobacterium breve in the mother’s gut during pregnancy supports healthy brain development in the fetus.Researchers have compared the development of the fetal brain in mice whose mothers had no bacteria in their gut, to those whose mothers were given Bifidobacterium breve orally during pregnancy, but h…

It is with deep sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Professor Chris Redman, a pioneering figure in the study of pre-eclampsia and an honorary member of the Centre for Trophoblast Research. Professor Redman was a leading clinician-scientist whose groundbreaking work significantly advanced our understanding of pre-eclampsia, leaving a lasting …

Pioneering Code of Practice released for use of stem cell-based embryo models in researchThe University of Cambridge, in partnership with the Progress Educational Trust, has led work to create the first ever UK guidelines for the generation and use of stem cell-based embryo models in research;These models can be created in the lab and mimic aspects…

CTR scientists have grown ‘mini-placentas’ in the lab and used them to see how the placenta develops and interacts with the inner lining of the womb – findings that could help scientists better understand and, in future, potentially treat pre-eclampsia.The study, published today in Cell Stem Cell, shows that it is possible to experiment on a develo…

A collaborative study led by Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly, joined by Centre for Trophoblast Research (CTR) researchers Prof Gordon Smith and Prof Steve Charnock Jones, has shown why many women experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy – and why some women, including the Duchess of Cambridge, become so sick they need to be admitted to hospi…

One in 200 newborns is admitted to a neonatal unit with sepsis caused by a bacteria commonly carried by their mothers – much greater than the previous estimate, say Centre for Trophoblast Research (CTR) researchers. The team has developed an ultra-sensitive test capable of better detecting the bacteria, as it is missed in the vast majority of cases…

CTR researchers have found that women who smoke during pregnancy are 2.6 times more likely to give birth prematurely compared to non-smokers – more than double the previous estimate.The study, published today in the International Journal of Epidemiology, also found that smoking meant that the baby was four times more likely to be small for its gest…

Unborn babies use ‘greedy’ gene from dads to ‘remote-control’ mums into feeding them extra food Fetuses use a copy of a gene inherited from their dad to force their mum to release as much nutrients as possible during pregnancy, Cambridge scientists have discovered. The unborn baby ‘remote controls’ its mother’s metabolism so the two are in a nutrit…