ABSTRACT
Workshops are an important part of the IFPA annual meeting as they allow for discussion of specialised topics. At the 2015 IFPA annual meeting there were 12 themed workshops, three of which are summarized in this report. These workshops related to various aspects of placental biology and collectively covered areas of obesity and the placenta, stem cells of the feto-maternal interface, and placental immunobiology and infection.
Subject(s)
Obesity/metabolism , Placenta Diseases/metabolism , Placenta/metabolism , Stem Cells/metabolism , Female , Humans , PregnancyABSTRACT
Workshops are an important part of the IFPA annual meeting as they allow for discussion of specialized topics. At IFPA meeting 2012 there were twelve themed workshops, four of which are summarized in this report. These workshops related to various aspects of placental biology: 1) epigenetics and imprinting in the placenta; 2) growth factors and villous trophoblast differentiation; 3) role of the placenta in regulating fetal exposure to xenobiotics during pregnancy; 4) infection and the placenta.
Subject(s)
Epigenesis, Genetic/physiology , Genomic Imprinting/physiology , Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/physiology , Placenta/physiology , Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/physiopathology , Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/chemically induced , Trophoblasts/physiology , Xenobiotics/adverse effects , Cell Differentiation/physiology , Female , Humans , Placenta/drug effects , Pregnancy , Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/genetics , Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Malaria infection during pregnancy is associated with poor maternal and foetal outcomes including low birth weight. In malaria-endemic areas, low birth weight is primarily a consequence of foetal growth restriction. Little is known on the pathogenesis of foetal growth restriction and our understanding of the relationship between epidemiological observations and the pathogenesis or consequences of disease is incomplete. In this review, we describe these gaps in our knowledge and also try to identify goals for future research into malaria in pregnancy. Foetal growth restriction results from a complex four-dimensional interaction between the foetus, the mother and the malaria parasite over gestation, and research into its pathogenesis may be advanced by combining longitudinal studies with techniques and approaches new to the field of malaria in pregnancy. Such approaches would greatly increase our knowledge on the pathogenesis of this disease and may provide new avenues for intervention strategies.
