Drug may buy vital time for early babies; Research aims to delay the onset of labour.Byline: Nicola Juncar RESEARCH by scientists in the North East is offering hope to doctors trying to prevent pregnant women from going into premature labour Noun 1. premature labour - labor beginning prior to the 37th week of gestation premature labor childbed, confinement, lying-in, parturiency, travail, labour, labor - concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child; "she . The researchers at Newcastle University have found Trichostatin A - an agent initially investigated in the laboratory as a possible cancer therapy - has been shown to inhibit contractions in muscle from the uterus. The team hopes further tests could lead the drug to be used to prevent premature birth premature birth Birth less than 37 weeks after conception. Infants born as early as 23–24 weeks may survive but many face lifelong disabilities (e.g., cerebral palsy, blindness, deafness). - the biggest single cause of infant death. Around 50,000 babies are born too early in the UK each year and around 1,500 babies don't survive. Yet little is known about what causes premature birth or how to prevent it. A variety of drugs are already used to reduce the incidence of premature labour, but few are effective and some have serious side effects Side effects Effects of a proposed project on other parts of the firm. . Previous studies have shown that protein kinase protein kinase /pro·tein ki·nase/ (pro´ten ki´nas) an enzyme that catalyzes the phosphorylation of serine, threonine, or tyrosine groups in enzymes or other proteins, using ATP as a phosphate donor. A (PKA pK a /pK a/ the negative logarithm of the ionization constant (K) of an acid, the pH of a solution in which half of the acid molecules are ionized. ) is involved in controlling the relaxation of the uterus during pregnancy, and that levels of PKA are higher in pregnant woman compared to non-pregnant woman and then decrease at the start of labour. Researchers using uterine uterine /uter·ine/ (u´ter-in) pertaining to the uterus. u·ter·ine adj. Of, relating to, or in the region of the uterus. muscle samples from patients at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom, was opened on 11 July 1906 by Edward VII on ten acres of Town Moor given by the Corporation and Freemen. showed that the drug Trichostatin A increased the levels of PKA and also inhibited smooth muscle contractions in these tissues. Professor Nick Europe-Finner, the project leader and Professor of Myometrial Science at Newcastle University, said: "This is an exciting new discovery as we now know that PKA has an important role in controlling relaxation of the uterus during pregnancy. "The discovery that Trichostatin A can inhibit contractions, presumably pre·sum·a·ble adj. That can be presumed or taken for granted; reasonable as a supposition: presumable causes of the disaster. due to its effect on PKA, means that this drug could potentially be used to prevent premature labour. "However, further laboratory studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of this and similar anti-cancer agents." Dr Magdalena Karolczak-Bayatti, research fellow at Newcastle University, added: "More laboratory research should help us to determine exactly how Trichostatin A regulates PKA levels and affects uterine muscle contraction. " The research was funded by leading children's charity Action Medical Research. Premature birth can spark long-lasting problems for both the mother and the baby. For many women, pre-term labour is shocking, frightening and unexpected. Dr Yolande Harley, deputy director of research at Action Medical Research, said: "This project has uncovered some of the molecular pathways that regulate uterine contractions and so could be linked to premature birth. "The results showing that Trichostatin A can inhibit contractions in the uterus means it could have a role in preventing premature birth. Finding a new treatment for early labour would be a major step forward." There are several factors which can increase a woman's risk of going into premature labour including age, infection and inflammation. Many premature babies, particularly those who are born very early, are at risk of developing serious problems, such as cerebral palsy cerebral palsy (sərē`brəl pôl`zē), disability caused by brain damage before or during birth or in the first years, resulting in a loss of voluntary muscular control and coordination. , blindness, deafness and developmental delay developmental delay n. A chronological delay in the appearance of normal developmental milestones achieved during infancy and early childhood, caused by organic, psychological, or environmental factors. . CANCER ROLE CANCER researchers at Durham University are set to benefit from a pounds 1.94m grant for a programme aiming to improve diagnosis of the disease. The grant from the National Institute for Health Research will fund the DISCOVERY programme (DIagnosis of Symptomatic Cancer). The project sees Durham experts working alongside researchers from some of the country's top universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, as well as medical staff from NHS NHS abbr. National Health Service NHS (in Britain) National Health Service Bristol. Prof Greg Rubin, of Durham University's School of Medicine and Health, said: "This grant reflects the importance attached by the NHS, through its Cancer Reform Strategy, to achieving earlier diagnosis of cancer." The five-year programme aims to improve diagnosis by looking how the issue is tackled at the earliest stage by both patients and doctors. CAPTION(S): RESEARCH Dr Europe-Finner IN LOVE'S GRIP Above, Melissa Swinney holds Francesca's tiny hand. Below, Melissa with her four-year-old son Callum. |
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