Discovery of genes linked to preterm birth
The scientific world has been hunting for the causes of premature birth for decades. For the first time, researchers have strong clues about the genes that play a part in preventing more than 15 million babies worldwide from being born too soon.
Researchers identified six gene areas that influence length of pregnancy by analyzing data from more than 50,000 pregnant women. Knowing these genes will help experts look for ways to detect early signs that a woman is at-risk and develop ways to intervene.
“We have known for a long time that preterm birth is a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Previous research has suggested that about 30 to 40 percent of the risk for preterm birth is linked to genetic factors. This new study is the first to provide robust information as to what some of those genetic factors actually are,” says Lou Muglia, MD, PhD, co-director of the Perinatal Institute and principal investigator of the March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center--Ohio Collaborative. The collaborative was formed as part of a network of centers to identify unknown causes of preterm birth.
Three findings from the study stood out as unexpected and particularly important:
- All six of the gene areas appear to involve only the mother’s body, not the baby’s genes.
- One of the genes strongly suggests that the lining of the uterus may have a significant role, which hints that some risk may occur at the time of implantation.
- Another gene area raises questions about diet and the amount of selenium a woman eats during pregnancy. Selenium is a common dietary mineral found in certain nuts, green vegetables and meats.
The study is just the beginning of the journey that will accelerate discoveries and lead to more full-term babies in the future. Experts plan to build on the findings by expanding the study to Africa and Asia, testing selenium levels during pregnancy and exploring new medications to uncover more clues to the mystery of preterm birth.
Large-scale collaboration
The study is a great example of the power of public-private partnership.
The globe-spanning team included first author Ge Zhang, MD, PhD, Human Genetics, along with researchers from Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Yale University, University of Iowa, and the genetic testing company 23andMe.
Vital funding was provided by the March of Dimes, the National Institutes of Health, The Research Council of Norway, Swedish Research Council and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
