Journal article
Inhibition of placental mTOR signaling provides a link between placental malaria and reduced birthweight
KG Dimasuay, EH Aitken, F Rosario, M Njie, J Glazier, SJ Rogerson, FJI Fowkes, JG Beeson, T Powell, T Jansson, P Boeuf
BMC Medicine | BMC | Published : 2017
Abstract
Background: Placental Plasmodium falciparum malaria can trigger intervillositis, a local inflammatory response more strongly associated with low birthweight than placental malaria infection alone. Fetal growth (and therefore birthweight) is dependent on placental amino acid transport, which is impaired in placental malaria-associated intervillositis. Here, we tested the hypothesis that mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, a pathway known to regulate amino acid transport, is inhibited in placental malaria-associated intervillositis, contributing to lower birthweight. Methods: We determined the link between intervillositis, mTOR signaling activity, and amino acid uptake in tissue ..
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Grants
Awarded by National Institutes of Health
Funding Acknowledgements
This work was supported by The Henry and Rachael Ackman Travelling Scholarship from the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, to KGD, by the National Institutes of Health [RHD68370] to TJ, by the Australian NHMRC to JGB, and by the Australian Research Council to FJIF. The Burnet Institute is supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council Independent Research Institutes Infrastructure Support Scheme, and a Victoria State Government Operational Infrastructure Support grant. These funding bodies had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, and in writing the manuscript.