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Credit to Dr. Huijuan Zhang
The microscopic chorionic pseudocyst (MCP) in fetal membranes. MCP is a morphology feature in fetal membrane under stressed intrauterine microenvironment , frequently seen in chronic hypoxia. MCP contains eosinophilic fibrinoid material, sometimes mixed with granular deposition, surrounded by increased accumulation of extravillous trophoblastic cells. Several MCP may link together. The function and role of MCP in labour onset and preterm birth need to be elucidated.
Our Members
Name
Carlos M. Guardia
Jossimara Polettini
Kang Sun
Laura Martin
Liping Feng
Loic Blanchon
Mancy Tong
Manuel Rausch
Márcia Guimarães da Silva
Marian Kacerovsky
Mark Johnson
Michelle Oyen
Narmada Lavu
Nanbert Zhong
Nardy Gomez-Lopez
Nathalia Mayumi Noda Nicolau
Rita Loch-Caruso
Robert Moore
Sarah Cunningham
Sarah Delforce
Stephen Fortunato
Terrence Allen
Veronica Fabrizio
Vikki Abrahams
Viral Jain
William Marinello
Yong Wang
Zhiyang HU
Institution
Duke University
Case Western Reserve
Texas A&M University
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Seoul National University
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Université Clermont Auvergne
Teaching hospital of Clermont-Ferrand
Vanderbilt University
Imperial College London
Case Western Reserve
Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Kyoto University, Japan
Fakultní nemocnice Hradec Králové
Université Clermont Auvergne
Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
The University of Western Australia
Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
Case Western Reserve
Universidade do Oeste Paulista
Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Columbia University
Botucatu Medical School
University of Texas Medical Branch
Duke University
Université Clermont Auvergne
Yale University School of Medicine
University of Texas
Departamento de Patologia, aculdade de Medicina de Botucatu
Fakultní nemocnice Hradec Králové
Imperial College London
The University of Melbourne
East Carolina University
The University of Queensland
University of Texas Medical Branch
New York State Institure for Basic Research
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Botucatu Medical School
Imperial College London
University of Texas Medical Branch
University of Michigan
Case Western Reserve
Duke University
University Of Newcastle
Ochsner
University of Texas Medical Branch
University of Newcastle
Duke University
Yale University School of Medicine
Yale University School of Medicine
Université Clermont Auvergne
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Duke Univerity
Hope center for neurological disorders
Shenzhen People’s Hospital in Shenzhen, China
Claire Kendal-Wright, PhD
Associate Professor, Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
My group focuses on the role of inflammation in human fetal membrane weakening and is currently funded by the Hawaii Community Foundation and NICHD. I primarily work with both epithelial and mesenchymal cells isolated from the amnion and I am particularly interested how sterile inflammation is initiated in/by these cells to drive the breakdown of this tissue layer leading to its rupture.
Carlos M. Guardia, PhD
Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator and Head of the Placental Cell Biology Group (PCBG), National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Durham, NC, USA
Our group works in multiple aspects of placental cell biology, including autophagy and secretion, using a multidisciplinary approach that involves mouse and human placental tissue and isolated trophoblasts. We are interested in networking with colleagues working on placenta and fetal membrane biology, as well as keeping up with the latest discoveries from the field. Lab Website: https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/atniehs/labs/rdbl/pi/placental-cell/index.cfm
Damien Bouvier, MD, PhD
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology department, Teaching hospital of Clermont-Ferrand and Team n°10 “Translational approach to epithelial injury of repair”, “Génétique, Reproduction et Développement” laboratory (GReD) / UMR CNRS 6293 UCA INSERM 1103, Faculté de Médecine, 28 Place Henri Dunant, F63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
Our team is interested on the study of the cellular and molecular implications of the Receptor of Advanced Glycation End-products (RAGE) and its ligands on the physiological and pathological events occurring during the rupture of fetal membranes. The project is based on cellular and tissue models of human amnion and chorion, on mice model (RAGE knock-out) and collection of human biological samples.
Website: https://www.gred-clermont.fr/directory/team/fr/equipe-10-approche-translationnelle-des-lesions-epitheliales-et-de-leur-reparation/
Huijuan Zhang, MD, PhD
Director and Professor, Departments of Pathology and Biobank, the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai, P. R. China.
Exam and find the morphology changes of fetal membrane under microscopy. To explore the correlation between some environmental-genetic factors and those morphology changes. To give answer to why fetal membrane plays important roles in the labor onset, especially in spontaneous preterm birth.
Kang Sun, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor, Vice Director, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University Medical School of Medicine
We endeavor to uncover the roles of the unique endocrine/paracrine features of the fetal membranes in labor onset and membrane rupture by using human fetal membrane tissue and cells. The aim of our study is to seek novel approaches to the prevention of preterm birth through elucidation of the endocrine/paracrine functions of the fetal membranes.
Kristin Myers, PhD
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University
I study the mechanical environment of pregnancy, and the mechanical mechanisms of preterm birth. My engineering lab uses computational and experimental biomechanics tools to understand the structure-function of the soft tissues protecting and supporting the fetus during gestation. Our goal is to create an engineering framework to diagnose women at high-risk for spontaneous preterm birth and to design personalized intervention strategies.
Laboratory Website: https://kristinmyerscolumbia.com/
Lauren Richardson, BS
Graduate Student, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy
MRB 11.154, 301 University Blvd, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
FM Research Interests: My ongoing predoctoral research is focused on the mechanistic processes of fetal membrane remodeling (Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transitions and the reverse Mesenchymal to Epithelial Transitions) throughout gestation and its dysregulation at term.
Laboratory Website: https://www.utmb.edu/obgyn/Research/MenonLab.asp
Loic Blanchon, PhD
Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology, Team n°10 “Translational approach to epithelial injury of repair”, “Génétique, Reproduction et Développement” Unit / GReD / UMR CNRS 6293 UCA INSERM 1103, Faculté de Médecine, 28 Place Henri Dunant, F63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
Our team is interested on the study of the cellular and molecular implications of the Receptor of Advanced Glycation End-products (RAGE) and its ligands on the physiological and pathological events occurring during the rupture of fetal membranes. The project is based on cellular and tissue models of human amnion and chorion, on mice model (RAGE knock-out) and collection of human biological samples.
Laboratory Website: https://www.gred-clermont.fr/directory/team/fr/equipe-10-approche-translationnelle-des-lesions-epitheliales-et-de-leur-reparation/
Marian Kacerovsky, MD, PhD
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Charles University, Faculty of Medicine Hradec Kralove; Biomedical Research Center, University Hospital Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic
Marian and his team are interested in intraamniotic infection and inflammation in pregnancies complicated by preterm prelabor rupture of membranes.
Haruta Mogami, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Kyoto University, JAPAN
Role of fetal fibronectin and coagulation factors (thrombin) on rupture of fetal membrane. Healing mechanism of sterile ruptured membrane by innate immune system.
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Mancy Tong, PhD
Postdoctoral Associate at the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine
Mancy is interested in characterizing the interaction between maternal neutrophils and fetal membranes in the presence of infection and how this may lead to premature rupture of fetal membranes and preterm birth.
Ramkumar Menon, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Division
MRB 11.138, 301 University Blvd, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
Maintenance of fetal membrane homeostasis throughout pregnancy by cellular transitions and how signals from membrane senescence contributes to normal and pathological parturition. My lab is also interested in fetal membrane derived exosomes as signalers of fetal readiness of parturition at term.
Laboratory Website: https://www.utmb.edu/obgyn/Research/MenonLab.asp
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Sarah Cunningham
PhD Candidate, The Department of Genetics and Genomics at Duke University, USA.
and Tim Reddy's lab in the Center for Genomics and Computational Biology
My research is looking at the effect of the glucocorticoid receptors in the amnion.
Tamas Zakar, MD, PhD
Professor (Conjoint), School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine and Priority Research Center for Reproductive Science, The University of Newcastle, Australia; Principal Research Scientist, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle NSW, Australia; Pregnancy and Reproduction Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
Tamas and his group are interested in the role of the fetal membranes and the decidua in determining gestational length. Their current focus is the epigenetic regulation of inflammatory genes in the amnion and the decidua in the context of normal and preterm parturition.
Vincent Sapin, PhD
Professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Team n°10 “Translational approach to epithelial injury of repair”, “Génétique, Reproduction et Développement” Unit / GReD / UMR CNRS 6293 UCA INSERM 1103, Faculté de Médecine, 28 Place Henri Dunant, F63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
Our team is interested on the study of the cellular and molecular implications of the Receptor of Advanced Glycation End-products (RAGE) and its ligands on the physiological and pathological events occurring during the rupture of fetal membranes. The project is based on cellular and tissue models of human amnion and chorion, on mice model (RAGE knock-out) and collection of human biological samples.
Laboratory Website: https://www.gred-clermont.fr/directory/team/fr/equipe-10-approche-translationnelle-des-lesions-epitheliales-et-de-leur-reparation/
Emilie Paterson
PhD Candidate Reproductive Immunology – Imperial College London
MSc Clinical Embryology – University of Oxford BSc Biology – University of Massachusetts Amherst
Male Lab at Imperial College London department of Metabolism, Digestion, and Reproduction Funded by Borne charity UK and Action Medical charity
My research focuses on defining the role of a novel population of decidual macrophages in the initiation of labour.
Chan-Wook Park, MD, PhD
Associate Professor, Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine.
Associate Professor Park's research explores the molecular pathways of spontaneous preterm birth, the relationships between maternal and fetal inflammatory responses, and between neonatal morbidities and placental inflammation. Associate Professor Park also seeks to identify novel and non-invasive screening technologies and interventions for spontaneous preterm birth. Notably, he has completed important work on furthering our understanding of necrotizing chorioamnionitis, a very unique histologic feature that he has examined extensively.
David M. Aronoff, MD, FIDSA, FAAM
Professor and Director, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine; Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA. Adjunct Professor, Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN, USA. Director, the Vanderbilt Pre3 Initiative (Preventing Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes & Prematurity), Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN.
The Aronoff lab studies reproductive immunology during pregnancy with a major focus on bacterial chorioamnionitis. We are interested in defining innate immune functions of the fetal membranes, particularly with related to paracrine signaling among diverse structural and immune cells upon microbial invasion. We use Group B Streptococcus (GBS), a major cause of adverse pregnancy outcomes, as a model organism. We are a highly collaborative group and have been working on team science approaches to build better in vitro model systems of the fetal membranes, particularly at the microscale.
Laboratory Website: http://www.aronofflab.org/ and see https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/pre3-initiative/
Helena Choltus
PhD student, Team n°10 “Translational approach to epithelial injury of repair”, “Génétique, Reproduction et Développement” Unit / GReD / UMR CNRS 6293 UCA INSERM 1103, Faculté de Médecine, 28 Place Henri Dunant, F63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
Our team is interested on the cellular and molecular implications of the Receptor of Advanced Glycation End-products (RAGE) and its ligands on the physiopathology of the rupture of fetal membranes. Moreover my project also consists to study the link between tobacco/ RAGE/ sterile inflammation and pPROM.
Laboratory Website: https://www.gred-clermont.fr/directory/team/fr/equipe-10-approche-translationnelle-des-lesions-epitheliales-et-de-leur-reparation/
Jossimara Polettini, PhD
Professor, Universidade da Fronteira Sul – UFFS, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil;
Collaborator researcher, Botucatu Medical School, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Botucatu, SP, Brazil
Amnion cells, fetal membrane culture and fetal membranes samples and their role in infection and senescence during pregnancy, in particular, the characteristics of telomere and telomerase during prematurity.
Corinne Belville, PhD
GReD (UMR 6293 CNRS-Universit Clermont Auvergne, U1103 INSERM), team:" Translational approach to epithelial injury and repair", head of the team: Pf Vincent Sapin
Physiopathology of fetal membranes
Laura Martin, PhD
São Paulo State University UNESP - BRAZIL
The focus of my researches was on inflammatory and oxidative process in spontaneous preterm labor and the differences between preterm labor with intact membranes and premature rupture of membranes preterm.
Liping Feng, PhD
Division of Reproductive Science, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke Global Health Institute
My research interests in fetal membrane field is focusing on the PGRMC1 functions in fetal membranes and the etiology of Ureaplasma Parvum infection-induced premature rupture of fetal membranes. My previous work has demonstrated that PGRMC1 protects the fetal membranes from premature senescence, calcium signaling-induced cell apoptosis, and Ureaplasma Parvum infection-induced inflammation. My research also showed that Ureaplasma Parvum infection causes fetal membrane rupture through thrombin production. My on-going research will lead a better understanding of the observed phenomenon above and eventually contribute to the prevention of preterm premature rupture of fetal membranes which is a devastating pregnancy complications.
Márcia Guimarães da Silva, PhD
São Paulo State University (Unesp), Brazil
Our group studies the innate immune response in the intrauterine environment to understand the mechanisms that trigger infection-associated pathways that culminate in preterm birth with intact membranes and preterm premature rupture of membranes.
Martha Lappas, PhD
Head; Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne Mercy Hospital for Women, 4th Floor/163 Studley Road, Heidelberg Victoria 3084
My team are interested in the role of inflammation in fetal membrane rupture. Another area of focus of my team is to identify novel therapeutic targets to prevent preterm birth. We are investigating the exciting possibility that polyphenols - natural compounds found in fruits/vegetables - can prevent preterm birth.
Manuel Rausch, PhD
University of Texas at Austin, Departments of Aerospace Engineering & Engineering Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering.
My group studies the biotransport and biomechanical properties of human fetal membranes with the goal of uncovering novel mechanisms of PPROM. Our hope is that discovery of such mechanisms enables the development of new diagnostic tools and opens up now pathways for therapy.
Michelle Oyen, PhD
Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Engineering, East Carolina University
Our biomechanics and biomaterials group has studied pPROM from a fracture mechanics perspective. We have designed analytical and computational models for membrane mechanical behavior from the scale of individual collagen fibrils up to the scale of the entire membrane. We have also done work on computational modeling of the blood flow and oxygen diffusion in the placenta and examined trophoblast migration using microfluidic devices and assays.
Samantha Sheller-Miller, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatal Research Division
MRB 11.150, 301 University Blvd, the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
Exosome signaling for maintenance of fetal membranes throughout pregnancy and fetal membrane derived exosomes as a paracrine mechanism for the initiation of labor.
Laboratory Website: https://www.utmb.edu/obgyn/Research/MenonLab.asp
Narmada Lavu
Graduate Student, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy
MRB 11.154, 301 University Blvd, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555 USA
My research interests involve the study of signaling pathways in fetal membranes that may possibly contribute to term and preterm parturition. Currently, I am involved in studying the contributions of the kinase GSK3 beta and exosomes to parturition.
Laboratory Website: https://www.utmb.edu/obgyn/Research/MenonLab.asp
Vikki Abrahams, PhD
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Division of Reproductive Sciences & Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Yale University School of Medicine
My laboratory is interested in the innate immune mechanisms by which the fetal membranes respond to both infectious and non-infectious stimuli. In particular we are interested in the role of fetal membrane Toll-like receptors, Nod-like receptors, and the inflammasome family members in mediating inflammation and immune responses and how this may impact pregnancy outcome.
Laboratory Website: https://medicine.yale.edu/obgyn/people/vikki_abrahams.profile
Zhiyang HU, PhD
Shenzhen People’s Hospital in Shenzhen, China
My interest is in fetal membrane after fetal surgery.
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