News

In Memoriam: Professor Chris Redman

15 August 2024

chris_redman.jpg 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 Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research . Professor Redman was a leading clinician-scientist whose groundbreaking work significantly advanced our...

Pioneering Code of Practice released for use of stem cell-based embryo models in research

4 July 2024

Pioneering Code of Practice released for use of stem cell-based embryo models in research The 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...

‘Mini-placentas’ help scientists study the causes of pre-eclampsia and pregnancy disorders

17 January 2024

Loke 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...

Cambridge-led study discovers cause of pregnancy sickness – and potential treatment

13 December 2023

A collaborative study led by Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly, joined by Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research (Loke 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...

Newborn babies at risk from bacteria commonly carried by mothers

30 November 2023

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 Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research (Loke CTR) researchers. The team has developed an ultra-sensitive test capable of better detecting the bacteria, as it is...

Risk of premature birth from smoking while pregnant more than double previous estimates

13 October 2023

Loke 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...

Image showing the signalling cells (in green) of the mouse placenta that are key for remote controlling the metabolism of the mother to support nutrient supply and growth of the fetus. Credit_ Sferruzzi

Unborn babies use ‘greedy’ gene from dads to ‘remote-control’ mums into feeding them extra food

10 July 2023

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...

Cell mapping and ‘mini placentas’ give new insights into human pregnancy

29 March 2023

Loke CTR researchers have mapped the complete trajectory of placental development, helping shed new light on why pregnancy disorders happen. Researchers from the Loke Centre for Trophoblast Research, the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research (FMI), Switzerland, EMBL’s European...

Molecular 3D-maps unlock new ways of studying human reproduction

16 June 2022

Molecular 3D-maps unlock new ways of studying human reproduction Loke Centre for Trophoblast Researchers have identified the biochemical signals that control the emergence of the body pattern in the primate embryo. This will guide work to understand birth defects and pregnancy loss in humans. The study also provides a...

CTR PhD Student collaborative paper published in Hypertension, June 2022

7 June 2022

A new collaborative paper by the University of Cambridge, Loke CTR's PhD student Dr Wen Tong , and the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi’An China, has been published in the Hypertension journal. The paper describes the role of pregnancy complicated by chronic hypoxia in preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction...