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Read more at: Why maternal deaths in the UK are rising

Why maternal deaths in the UK are rising

24 November 2022

Why maternal deaths in the UK are rising Marian Knight , University of Oxford and Lisa Hinton , University of Cambridge In high-income countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands, pregnancy is comparatively safe. But maternal deaths still happen and in places like the UK are increasing . Understanding why is important...


Read more at: ‘Synthetic’ embryo with brain and beating heart grown from multiple stem cells by Cambridge scientists
Natural (left) and synthetic (right) embryos side by side to show comparable brain and heart formation. Image credit: Amadei and Handford

‘Synthetic’ embryo with brain and beating heart grown from multiple stem cells by Cambridge scientists

25 August 2022

Researchers from the University of Cambridge have created model embryos from mouse stem cells that form a brain, a beating heart, and the foundations of all the other organs of the body – a new avenue for recreating the first stages of life. The team, led by Professor Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz , developed the embryo model...


Read more at: Maternal microbiome promotes healthy development of the baby
Bifidobacterium breve

Maternal microbiome promotes healthy development of the baby

28 June 2022

Researchers studying mice have found the first evidence of how a mother’s gut microbes can help in the development of the placenta, and the healthy growth of the baby. A new study has found that a species of gut bacteria, known to have beneficial effects for health in mice and humans, changes the mother’s body during...


Read more at: Molecular 3D-maps unlock new ways of studying human reproduction
Marmoset embryo implanted within the uterus (image: University of Cambridge)

Molecular 3D-maps unlock new ways of studying human reproduction

16 June 2022

Scientists have identified the biochemical signals that control the emergence of the body pattern in the primate embryo. This will guide work to understand birth defects and pregnancy loss in humans. The study also provides a crucial reference for foetal tissue generation in the lab - such tissue is in short supply but is...


Read more at: Gestational diabetes may cause long-term metabolic risks, even after apparent return to normal health
Testing for blood sugar with a fingerprick test

Gestational diabetes may cause long-term metabolic risks, even after apparent return to normal health

4 March 2022

There is mounting evidence of increased risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women who, when pregnant, experienced gestational diabetes (GDM). The elevated risk is observed in the decade after delivery. In their study published in Nutrition and Diabetes , researchers from the Ozanne...


Read more at: The not-so-swinging sixties?
A couple visiting a Brook Advisory Centre in the 1960s. Image courtesy of Brook

The not-so-swinging sixties?

21 February 2022

A new article by historian and Cambridge Reproduction member Dr Caroline Rusterholz argues that young people behaving responsibly in the 1960s helped to defeat fierce opposition to the UK’s first sexual health clinics. Her research challenges assumptions about the sexual revolution of the ‘Swinging Sixties’ and sheds new...


Read more at: Live cells discovered in human breast milk could aid breast cancer research
Breast milk in bottles (image: Jamie Grill/The Image Bank)

Live cells discovered in human breast milk could aid breast cancer research

8 February 2022

Researchers have explored the cellular changes that occur in human mammary tissue in lactating and non-lactating women, offering insight into the relationship between pregnancy, lactation and breast cancer. The study was led by researchers from the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute (CSCI) and the Department of...


Read more at: How baby demands food from Mum before birth: a tale of two imprinted genes
Dev-Cell-image-Sandovici

How baby demands food from Mum before birth: a tale of two imprinted genes

27 December 2021

Research led by scientists from the Constância Group has identified a key signal that a fetus uses to control its supply of nutrients from the placenta. The way that a fetus grows ‘in sync’ with the placenta was not known until now. The study, carried out in mice as a 'model' (proxy) for human pregnancy, could help explain...


Read more at: Uterus study is important step towards understanding diseases that affect one third of women
Uterine cells

Uterus study is important step towards understanding diseases that affect one third of women

17 December 2021

The most comprehensive cell atlas to date of the human uterus has identified two new epithelial cell states that can be used to distinguish two forms of uterine cancer. Researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, the University of Cambridge and their collaborators also identified the genetic pathways that determine two...


Read more at: Celebrating interdisciplinary research at Cambridge

Celebrating interdisciplinary research at Cambridge

4 October 2021

Cambridge University video highlights importance of interdisciplinary research The video called ‘What impact will your next connection have?’ encourages researchers to get involved in the lively network of cross-School initiatives at the University. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE: 'What impact will your next connection have?’...