Drug may halt early labour.A TEAM of experts from Tyneside have carried out experiments on an anti-cancer drug to see if it could also be used 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 . Researchers from Newcastle University have found that Trichostatin A Trichostatin A is an organic compound that serves as an antifungal antibiotic and selectively inhibits the mammalian histone deacetylase family of enzymes. TSA inhibits the eukaryotic cell cycle during the beginning of the growth stage. , 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). , which is the biggest single cause of infant death Noun 1. infant death - sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant during sleep cot death, crib death, SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome . Around 50,000 babies are born too early in the UK each year, and around 1,500 babies die a result of this. Yet little is known about what causes premature birth or how to prevent it. Melissa Swinney and partner Bradley Gaughan, of Bedlington, know the heartache premature birth can lead to. Last September, Melissa, 26, gave birth to their son, Elijah, four months early, and he sadly died after just three hours. But now the couple are celebrating the birth of their daughter Francesca, who they say is Elijah's gift to them. Francesca was premature by nine weeks, but she weighed 12oz more than Elijah and her survival is all the more precious after his loss. Melissa, who is also mum to fouryear-old Callum, said: "It has probably been the worst year we have both experienced. It was very frightening for all of us, but Francesca is doing brilliantly." 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. . Prof Nick Europe-Finner, of Newcastle University, said: "Further laboratory studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of this and similar anticancer anticancer, n a medicine or substance used to treat cancer. agents." CAPTION(S): BEAUTIFUL: Baby Francesca Gaughan. Top, mum Melissa with her eldest son Callum |
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