A deficit in the way the placenta expresses the gene for a hormone called insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) appears linked to insulin resistance during pregnancy, researchers reported. Photo by ...

During pregnancy, the placenta secretes hormones that increase insulin resistance, which may cause gestational diabetes (GD). Left untreated, diabetes can damage the placenta. GD begins in the ...

The placenta is the organ connecting mother and embryo. Its main functions are the exchange of nutrients, gases and metabolic products and the production of hormones and other substances essential for ...

The effect of genetic changes on the placenta has not been systematically studied to date. Of 103 gene mutations that lead to the death of a developing fetus in mice, 68% caused defects in the ...

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking "placenta-on-a-chip" using a thin, transparent polymer block with microchannels a millionth of a meter wide and high, separated by a porous membrane. This ...

Changes occur in the placenta in older pregnant mothers leading to a greater likelihood of poor health in their male offspring, a study in rats has shown. Both male and female fetuses do not grow as ...

AMES, Iowa - Engineers have used microfluidic technology to create a "placenta-on-a-chip" that models how compounds can be passed from a mother to a fetus. "I am interested in microfluidics and I've ...

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a cell culture test to detect substances that are directly or indirectly harmful to embryos. Based on an existing test used for developing new drugs and ...

The placenta could be one reason why some women develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, a new study finds. A deficit in the way the placenta expresses the gene for a hormone called insulin-like ...

The role of the placenta in fetal development is being seriously under-appreciated according to scientists. A team studied 103 mutations linked to prenatal death in mice and showed that almost 70 ...