MMP-12-mediated vascular elastolysis - a potential target for therapeutic intervention in complicated pregnancies

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Normally, blood flow is controlled by stretchy, elastic fibres in the walls of blood vessels that allow them to become wider or narrower, as required. In pregnancy, the developing baby needs a constant supply of blood, so elastic fibres in the blood vessels of the womb are broken down and the vessels are permanently widened. If this process does not happen, it can cause the baby to be born too small or too early and can make the mother seriously ill. We have identified one of the proteins that controls breakdown of elastic fibres in the womb and we will study different ways to increase its activity. This will lead to development of a treatment to make blood vessels in the womb wider, if the process does not happen naturally.