Scientists at The Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation have discovered a gene that helps protect the heart during pregnancy. Their research, published in Nature Communications, focused on peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM), a rare and dangerous form of heart failure related to pregnancy.
The study identified the gene PTRH2 as important for helping the maternal heart manage stress during pregnancy. Michelle L. Matter, PhD, led the research team. She said, "This work identifies a previously unrecognized molecular safeguard in the heart. Understanding how the heart normally responds to pregnancy-induced stresses brings us closer to developing targeted treatments for women who develop PPCM."
Researchers used mouse models to show that losing PTRH2 can result in severe postpartum heart failure. Pooja Choubey, PhD, co-first author and postdoctoral fellow in The Matter Lab, explained: "During pregnancy, the heart increases in size to account for increased blood flow-but without PTRH2, the heart doesn't return to normal. That kind of enlargement can be extremely dangerous and, in many cases, fatal."
Choubey added that these findings may lead to new treatment options: "We're opening the door for innovation. This isn't just about the disease-it's about the mothers who are affected."
