Immune response in pregnancy v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Studying MAternal blood, placenta and uMbilical cOrd bLood to better understand immune responses in pregnancy (MAMOL)
IRAS ID
342023
Contact name
Cathy Thornton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NE/W002264/1, Funder's reference
Duration of Study in the UK
4 years, 10 months, 29 days
Research summary
We have on ongoing programme of in vitro research to understand immune function and inflammation during
pregnancy - studying mother, placenta and baby. This typically requires collecting maternal blood in the latter stages of pregnancy alongside the placenta and umbilical cord blood of the baby at delivery. Our approach is aimed at understanding how the phenotype and function of these cells and tissues might differ to not pregnant women and adults more generally, how maternal health parameters such as obesity might impact this and how environmental exposures such as infections and air pollution might alter this. For example, a recent successful grant application enables further research to study the interaction of the immune system of pregnant women, the placenta and the fetus with different types of air pollution. We are particularly interested to determine if pregnant women make a different response to air pollutants than the general population. To pursue our research interests we require peripheral blood from pregnant women (targeting women undergoing elective caesarean section during pre-anaesthetic assessment when they are having blood taken anyway for clinical care) and placental and umbilical cord material - both the cord itself and the fetal blood contained within (these are normally discarded as clinical waste after the delivery of the baby). Samples are then processed in the laboratory and exposed to different treatments that mimic real world exposures and the inflammatory response measured using a range of standard laboratory techniques.REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
25/NI/0032
Date of REC Opinion
4 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion