Scientists Unlock Mysteries Surrounding Mother-Baby Communication During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is surrounded by several mysterious. One of them is the communication between a mother and her fetus during this period. A group of scientists has managed to unlock the secret of maternal-fetal communication during pregnancy through their mouse model study.

The research, published in the American Journal Of Obstetrics and Gynecology earlier this week, focused on the various ways of communication between a mother’s cells and her fetus' cells during pregnancy.

Through the research, a group of scientist from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston and a team from South Korea found the mode of communication between a pregnant woman and the fetus inside her womb are “sacs filled with chemicals called exosomes”.

During the study, the research team also found out that there is constant communication between a pregnant woman and the fetus in her womb throughout pregnancy. This mode of communication plays a vital role in controlling the birth timing of the child, the study noted.

“Our prior studies have shown that the fetal exosomes signal to the mother's body that her/his organs have fully matured, which triggers the labor and delivery process,” lead researcher Ramkumar Menon, an associate professor in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at University of Texas Medical Branch, said in a statement.

The researcher further said his team is focussing on the “extent and capabilities of this communication system” between the mother and her fetus. This will help the team in developing new ways to support and monitor the fetus during pregnancy.

For their mouse model study, the scientists used genetically engineered mice that had certain exosome proteins glow green and fluorescent red when tissue samples and blood are stained. The researchers viewed the samples under a microscope to distinguish between maternal and fetal exosomes.

By closely watching the samples, the scientists learned that tracking and isolating fetal exosomes traveling to the maternal side can be a useful indicator about the fetus’ development and health, which can be measured in minimally invasive maternal blood samples.

The research team concluded that “feto-maternal and maternal−fetal trafficking of exosomes indicative of paracrine signaling during pregnancy. Exosomes from the maternal side can produce functional changes in fetal tissues. Trafficking of exosomes suggests their potential role in pregnancy as biomarkers of fetal functions and usefulness as a carrier of drugs and other cargo to the fetal side during pregnancy. Isolation and characterization of fetal exosomes can advance fetal research without performing invasive procedures”.

The scientists are currently looking forward to a follow-up study that can help them in finding out if this mode of communication between a mother and her fetus can be used to prevent premature birth.

“We will test the usefulness of drugs enclosed in exosomes that can potentially cross the placenta barrier, reach the fetus and prevent fetal inflammation, a major cause of preterm birth for which there is currently no drug treatment. Fetal inflammatory response is primarily responsible for preterm delivery, which impacts 15 million pregnancies yearly and responsible for 1 million neonatal deaths,” Menon said.