How maternal diabetes disrupts early embryo nerve-tube growth via mTOR and HIPPO‑YAP signals
Intersection of the mTOR/p70S6K1 signaling and the HIPPO-Yap tissue organizer in neurulation and diabetic embryopathy
This research looks at how high blood sugar in pregnancy changes specific cell-growth signals that can lead to neural tube birth defects in babies of women with diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11237116 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team studies molecular signals (mTOR/p70S6K1 and HIPPO‑YAP) that control cell growth and survival during neural tube formation using laboratory models. They use genetically altered embryos and cell systems to turn these pathways on or off and observe effects on tissue growth and cell stress. The work also tests whether blocking mTOR signaling with drugs like rapamycin or altering Lats1/Yap activity can prevent the defects seen with maternal diabetes. Results come from detailed tissue, cell, and molecular analyses performed at the University of Maryland Baltimore laboratory.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Findings are most relevant to women with pregestational (type 1 or type 2) diabetes who are planning pregnancy or in early pregnancy.
Not a fit: People without diabetes or pregnancies where birth defects are caused by unrelated genetic issues are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to biological targets or therapies to reduce neural tube defects in babies of mothers with pregestational diabetes.
How similar studies have performed: Prior preclinical work showed mTOR inhibition and manipulating Yap-related pathways can alter diabetic embryopathy in animal models, so this builds on promising laboratory findings.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- University of Maryland Baltimore — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yang, Peixin — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Yang, Peixin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.