How placental cells that remodel maternal blood vessels develop
Official title: Regulation of Invasive Trophoblast Cell Lineage Development
Funded at Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo) · NIH-11175452 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how a gene called ASCL2 helps the placental cells that reshape a mother's arteries during pregnancy grow and function to support a healthy pregnancy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo) NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Kansas City, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $249,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R00HD107262-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11175452 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with a history of preeclampsia, recurrent pregnancy loss, or fetal growth restriction would be most relevant to the study's findings and to related sample-donation opportunities.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant or who need immediate clinical treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused research.
What this research studies
This work focuses on extravillous trophoblasts, the placental cells that invade the uterus and change blood vessels to supply the fetus. Researchers will use lab-grown human trophoblast stem cells and genetically modified rat models to remove or alter the ASCL2 gene and observe the consequences. They will map genome-wide DNA methylation, measure chromatin accessibility with ATAC-seq, and use 3C-based methods to study chromatin conformation to see how ASCL2 controls cell identity and behavior. The team aims to link these molecular changes to conditions like preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction, and pregnancy loss so future tests or treatments can be developed.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could reveal molecular causes of placental disorders and suggest new ways to predict, prevent, or treat conditions like preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show ASCL2 is important for placental development in cells and animal models, but using whole-genome methylation, ATAC-seq and chromatin conformation mapping to define its role is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo)
Kansas City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Varberg, Kaela Margaret — Children's Mercy Hosp (Kansas City, Mo)
- Study coordinator: Varberg, Kaela Margaret
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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.