TRANSLATING NEW THERAPEUTICS AND DIAGNOSTICS FOR MAJOR PREGNANCY COMPLICATIONS

Grant number: 1136418 | Funding period: 2018 - 2022

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Abstract

My research is focussed on tackling major complications of pregnancy that are a threat to the lives of both mother’s and babies. We are developing new drug treatments for ectopic pregnancy (a dangerous condition where the pregnancy implants in the Fallopian tube), and preeclampsia (a condition where toxins leak out of the placenta into mum's blood, and can seriously injure many of mum's major organs). We are also generating a blood test that may help women avoid the tragedy of a stillbirth.

Related publications (21)

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Circulating Growth Differentiation Factor 15 Is Increased Preceding Preeclampsia Diagnosis: Implications as a Disease Biomarker

Tess Cruickshank, Teresa M MacDonald, Susan P Walker, Emerson Keenan, Kirsten Dane, Anna Middleton, Valerie Kyritsis, Jenny Myers, Catherine Cluver, Roxanne Hastie, Lina Bergman, Damanpreet Garcha, Ping Cannon, Elizabeth Murray, Tuong-Vi Nguyen, Richard Hiscock, Natasha Pritchard, Natalie J Hannan, Stephen Tong, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino

2021-08-17

Background We investigated the biomarker potential of growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15), a stress response protein highly ..

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LOX-1 expression is reduced in placenta from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia and in hypoxic cytotrophoblast

Natasha de Alwis, Sally Beard, Natalie K Binder, Natasha Pritchard, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino, Susan P Walker, Owen Stock, Katie M Groom, Scott Petersen, Amanda Henry, Joanne M Said, Sean Seeho, Stefan C Kane, Stephen Tong, Natalie J Hannan

2021-08-01

OBJECTIVES: The lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) is upregulated in the maternal vasculature in pree..

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Pre-Clinical Investigation of Cardioprotective Beta-Blockers as a Therapeutic Strategy for Preeclampsia

Natalie K Binder, Teresa M MacDonald, Sally A Beard, Natasha de Alwis, Stephen Tong, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino, Natalie J Hannan

2021-08-01

Despite significant maternal and fetal morbidity, a treatment for preeclampsia currently remains an unmet need in clinical care. A..

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DAAM2 is elevated in the circulation and placenta in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction and is regulated by hypoxia

Natasha de Alwis, Sally Beard, Natalie K Binder, Natasha Pritchard, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino, Susan P Walker, Owen Stock, Katie Groom, Scott Petersen, Amanda Henry, Joanne M Said, Sean Seeho, Stefan C Kane, Lisa Hui, Stephen Tong, Natalie J Hannan

2021-03-10

Previously, we identified increased maternal circulating DAAM2 mRNA in pregnancies complicated by preterm fetal growth restriction..

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Nanoparticles in pregnancy: the next frontier in reproductive therapeutics

Natasha Pritchard, Tu'uhevaha Kaitu'u-Lino, Lynda Harris, Stephen Tong, Natalie Hannan

2021-03-01

BACKGROUND: Nanotechnology involves the engineering of structures on a molecular level. Nanomedicine and nano-delivery systems hav..

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Circulating Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor (TFPI) is increased preceding preeclampsia diagnosis and in established preeclampsia

Teresa M MacDonald, Stephen Tong, Jenny Myers, Ping Cannon, Nguyen Tuong-Vi, Emerson Keenan, Elizabeth Murray, Alesia Harper, Natasha Pritchard, Natalie J Hannan, Kirsten M Dane, Anna L Middleton, Valerie P Kyritsis, Susan P Walker, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino

2021-02-01

INTRODUCTION: Tissue Factor Pathway Inhibitor (TFPI) is a part of the extrinsic coagulation pathway, and highly expressed in the p..

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Preventable stillbirths in the Solomon Islands - A hidden tragedy

Manarangi De Silva, Leeanne Panisi, Lenin Manubuasa, Catherine Honimae, Susan Taragwanu, Simon Burggraaf, Divinal Ogaoga, Anthea Lindquist, Susan Walker, Stephen Tong, Roxanne Hastie

2020-12-01

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MicroRNAs 363 and 149 are differentially expressed in the maternal circulation preceding a diagnosis of preeclampsia

Carole-Anne Whigham, Teresa M MacDonald, Susan P Walker, Richard Hiscock, Natalie J Hannan, Natasha Pritchard, Ping Cannon, Vi Nguyen Tuong, Manisha Miranda, Stephen Tong, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino

2020-10-22

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication associated with angiogenic dysbalance, maternal endothelial dysfunction and end-organ inj..

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Pravastatin, proton-pump inhibitors, metformin, micronutrients, and biologics: new horizons for the prevention or treatment of preeclampsia.

Stephen Tong, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino, Roxanne Hastie, Fiona Brownfoot, Catherine Cluver, Natalie Hannan

2020-09-16

There has been increasing research momentum to identify new therapeutic agents for the prevention or treatment of preeclampsia, dr..

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Aurora kinase mRNA expression is reduced with increasing gestational age and in severe early onset fetal growth restriction

Sally Beard, Natasha Pritchard, Natalie Binder, Karen Schindler, Natasha De Alwis, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino, Stephen Tong, Natalie J Hannan

2020-06-01

INTRODUCTION: Oxidative damage and biochemical ageing are implicated in placental dysfunction and potentially fetal death. Cellula..

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Combining metformin and sulfasalazine additively reduces the secretion of antiangiogenic factors from the placenta: Implications for the treatment of preeclampsia

Fiona C Brownfoot, Roxanne Hastie, Natalie J Hannan, Ping Cannon, Tuong Nguyen, Laura Tuohey, Cathy Cluver, Stephen Tong, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino

2020-06-01

INTRODUCTION: The antiangiogenic factors soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and soluble endoglin (sENG) are elevated in p..

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Circulating SPINT1 is a biomarker of pregnancies with poor placental function and fetal growth restriction

Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino, Teresa M MacDonald, Ping Cannon, Nguyen Tuong-Vi, Richard J Hiscock, Nick Haan, Jenny E Myers, Roxanne Hastie, Kirsten M Dane, Anna L Middleton, Intissar Bittar, Amanda N Sferruzzi-Perri, Natasha Pritchard, Alesia Harper, Natalie J Hannan, Valerie Kyritsis, Nick Crinis, Lisa Hui, Susan P Walker, Stephen Tong

2020-05-15

Purpose To investigate the relationship between patient-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaire responses and time to late age-relate..

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Pravastatin as the statin of choice for reducing pre-eclampsia-associated endothelial dysfunction

Natasha de Alwis, Sally Beard, Yeukai T Mangwiro, Natalie K Binder, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino, Fiona C Brownfoot, Stephen Tong, Natalie J Hannan

2020-04-01

OBJECTIVES: There is avid interest in pravastatin as a therapeutic intervention for pre-eclampsia, however little is known on stat..

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Death associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK-1) is increased in preeclampsia

Cameron Yung, Teresa M MacDonald, Susan P Walker, Ping Cannon, Alesia Harper, Natasha Pritchard, Natalie J Hannan, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino, Stephen Tong

2019-12-01

INTRODUCTION: Death associated protein kinase-1 (DAPK-1) is highly expressed in the placenta relative to all other human tissues. ..

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Systematic review of areca (betel nut) use and adverse pregnancy outcomes

Manarangi De Silva, Leeanne Panisi, Fiona C Brownfoot, Anthea Lindquist, Susan P Walker, Stephen Tong, Roxanne Hastie

2019-10-03

BACKGROUND: Betel nut is the fourth most commonly abused substance worldwide and has been associated with significant adverse heal..

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Screening circulating proteins to identify biomarkers of fetal macrosomia.

Tess Cruickshank, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino, Ping Cannon, Alesia Harper, Tuong-Vi Nguyen, Kirsten M Dane, Anna L Middleton, Valerie P Kyritsis, Roxanne Hastie, Stephen Tong, Susan P Walker, Teresa M MacDonald

2019-09-18

OBJECTIVE: Fetal macrosomia is a major risk factor for shoulder dystocia, which can lead to birth asphyxia, maternal and neonatal ..

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Maternal mortality at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara, Solomon Islands over a five-year period

Manarangi De Silva, Leeanne Panisi, Anita Maepioh, Rebecca Mitchell, Anthea Lindquist, Stephen Tong, Roxanne Hastie

2019-09-11

BACKGROUND: The Solomon Islands is a developing country facing significant barriers to the provision of quality antenatal and obst..

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The untapped potential of placenta-enriched molecules for diagnostic and therapeutic development

Carole-Anne Whigham, Teresa M MacDonald, Susan P Walker, Natalie J Hannan, Stephen Tong, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino

2019-09-01

Pregnancy complications such as fetal growth restriction and preeclampsia are diseases with limited biomarkers for prediction, and..

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Blood-based biomarkers in the maternal circulation associated with fetal growth restriction

Stephen Tong, Tu'uhevaha Joy Kaitu'u-Lino, Susan Philippa Walker, Teresa Mary MacDonald

2019-07-22

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is associated with threefold to fourfold increased risk of stillbirth. Identifying FGR, through its..

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Circulating GATA2 mRNA is decreased among women destined to develop preeclampsia and may be of endothelial origin

Carole-Anne Whigham, Teresa M MacDonald, Susan P Walker, Natasha Pritchard, Natalie J Hannan, Ping Cannon, Vi Nguyen Tuong, Roxanne Hastie, Stephen Tong, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino

2019-01-18

Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication associated with elevated placental secretion of anti-angiogenic factors, maternal endothe..

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ELABELA/APELA Levels Are Not Decreased in the Maternal Circulation or Placenta among Women with Preeclampsia

Natasha Pritchard, Tu'uhevaha J Kaitu'u-Lino, Sungsam Gong, Justyna Dopierala, Gordon CS Smith, D Stephen Charnock-Jones, Stephen Tong

2018-08-01

The genetic deletion of apelin receptor early endogenous ligand (Elabela; official name APELA) produces a preeclampsia-like phenot..

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