Iron and Pregnancy: Regulatory Mechanisms and Adverse Outcomes

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT I am a post-doctoral scientist interested in the regulation of metabolic processes important to human health and the pathophysiology of human diseases. My long-term goal is to become an expert and academic leader in the field of iron homeostasis, answering questions and developing applications relevant to human health and disease. I aim to expand the field of iron homeostasis to the previously neglected area of iron regulation during pregnancy and the contribution of iron disorders to adverse pregnancy outcomes, and apply these discoveries beyond pregnancy, to other common iron disorders. I will be supported by my primary mentor, Dr. Elizabeta Nemeth, a leader in the field of anemia and iron metabolism, along with co-mentors who will contribute their multidisciplinary expertise to train me in theoretical and methodological aspects of placental and fetal health and disease. Through UCLA’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), I will choose from numerous career development seminars that address such topics as grant writing, manuscript preparation, and ethical research. I will also take graduate courses to obtain further training in immunology, developmental biology, bioinformatics and biostatistics. I feel fortunate to have the full support of my institution, as well as the many advantages of carrying out my research project at the University of California Los Angeles, a renowned research center. This proposal outlines a 5-year research and career development plan that will prepare me to become an independent scientist engaged in cutting-edge scientific research. This project aims to identify the pregnancy- related hepcidin suppressor and elucidate the mechanisms mediating adverse interaction between iron deficiency and inflammation during and outside of pregnancy. Although iron availability during pregnancy is highly regulated, the regulatory mechanisms are not well understood. Using an in vitro bioassay to detect hepcidin suppressive activity, I identified the trophoblast as the source of a potent and robust hepcidin suppressor. Specific Aim 1a seeks to isolate and identify the trophoblast-derived hepcidin suppressor using an orthogonal multi-step protein purification approach. Specific Aim 1b seeks to examine the mechanisms involved in trophoblast-mediated hepcidin suppression, including the role of ALK2 ubiquitination. Iron disorders of pregnancy and their interaction with inflammation commonly contribute to adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. My preliminary data suggest the role of the TNFα-TNFR1 pathway in this process. For specific Aim 2a, I will define the mechanism(s) of TNF-receptor regulation by iron deficiency and in Specific Aim 2b, determine the contribution of TNF-receptor and inflammatory cytokines to adverse interaction between inflammation and iron deficiency observed in our mouse models. This project has important and broad translation potential, and seeks to answer high-impact mechanistic questions about the regulation of iron during pregnancy and iron pathologies outside of pregnancy. While developing my full potential as a scientist, I aim to expand our knowledge of iron disorders in pregnancy and in other disease states where iron dysregulation contributes to their pathogenesis.