Uterine Genes Affect Embryo Survival
A few years ago, I went with my friends to see a fortune teller. He claimed that a mark on my face (invisible to me) showed that I’d had a miscarriage before. That was news to me. I’d never suspected myself to be pregnant so a miscarriage was definitely out of the question.
Statistically speaking, there was a small likelihood that I might have had one given that 40 to 50 per cent of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Of these miscarriages, approximately 75 per cent are due to the embryo being unable to implant in the uterus. Christine White at Prince Henry’s Institute in Australia thinks that genes in a woman’s uterus may play a role in embryo implantation. (The Australian, June 27, 2005)
White found that the interleukin-11 (a protein of unknown function) produced by pregnant women affects genes in the uterus leading to changes in the uterine milieu that makes it more hospitable for an embryo. The coordinated efforts of these genes may help the mother and embryo communicate to improve the chances of a successful pregnancy.
If defects in these genes can be identified, it could lead to the development of drugs that can help some women achieve their dreams of becoming mothers. For others who are avoiding pregnancy, blocking the function of these genes may prove to be an alternative form of birth control.
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POSTED IN: General Genetics and Health
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