Development of functional MR techniques in the assessment the placenta
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Developing functional MR sequences to assess placental function and determine the effect of therapeutic interventions.
IRAS ID
251942
Contact name
Alexander Heazell
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 0 months, 4 days
Research summary
During pregnancy the placenta (or afterbirth) is responsible for delivering fetal growth by transferring nutrients and
oxygen from the mothers blood stream. The development of the placenta must occur within weeks and is dependent
on a maternal environment. Abnormalities in this rapid process are common, resulting in abnormal
placental tissue development, abnormal materno-placental interaction or both. When these abnormalities occur they
result in the linked pregnancy diseases miscarriage, pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure and maternal multisystem
disease), fetal growth restriction (failed fetal growth during pregnancy) and stillbirth. Significant progress has been
made in determining some of the causal factors of placental failure postnatally when the placenta is examined.
However, how to antenatally detect these different placental phenotypes, and determine how the placenta functions as pregnancy features change, and as treatments are given, remains a challenge. We have developed placental MRI techniques over the last 8 years that can determine placental dysfunction, and identify different phenotypes, by measuring placental oxygenation. Our data has shown progressive changes in MRI measures of placental oxygenation across pregnancy gestation and between normal and complicated pregnancies. At present, we are unable to judge if any of current treatments for pregnancy complications (such as blood pressure medication, or metformin) are having any effect on placental function or these MRI parameters. This new study will aim to address this by developing new MR techniques, and refining existing protocols to assess placental function as pregnancy features change, and new treatments of pregnancy complications are introduced. Placental MRI scans will be developed from our prior protocols which have had a high participant satisfaction and completion rate.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0177
Date of REC Opinion
2 May 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion