Understanding and treating Infection-related preterm birth

Intrauterine infection accounts for at least 40% of cases of spontaneous preterm birth.

The most common route of pathogen entry into the uterine cavity is likely to be ascent of vaginal microbes as a result of compromised cervico-vaginal innate immune defences.

All mucosal surfaces are protected to some degree by mucus barriers formed by polymeric gel-forming mucin proteins secreted from epithelial goblet cells.

Accordingly, research has identified a potential protective role for cervical mucins and mucus barriers in the antimicrobial defence of the pregnant cervix.

This project will address the hypothesis that a compromised mucus barrier function confers an increased risk of infection-related preterm birth.

Our key goal will be to investigate the specific role of cervical mucins in mucus barrier integrity and antimicrobial defence using knock out mouse models, as well as exploring cervical mucins from cervical samples (collected in our prematurity clinic) from women at risk of preterm birth.

Furthermore, this project will investigate the use of a mucin-like biopolymer, which would mimic a healthy pregnant cervical mucus plug, as a potential preventative therapy for preterm birth using a mouse model of preterm birth.