A new study has uncovered the placenta’s unexpected impact on maternal mental health, shedding light on pregnancy-related anxiety and depression and paving the way for targeted treatments. New Delhi: In groundbreaking research, a team of Australian researchers has identified the placenta's unexpected influence on maternal mental health. The finding may potentially revolutionise the understanding of pregnancy-related anxiety and depression and help develop a treatment for the conditions.
Scientists at the Mater Research Institute-University of Queensland identified 13 distinct glucocorticoid receptor isoforms in the placenta, with one particular variant showing a surprising response to maternal stress. "We have discovered that the placenta has 13 different isoforms of the glucocorticoid receptor, with one isoform expressed in the presence of maternal stress, anxiety, and depression that activates an inflammatory response in the placenta in the presence of high cortisol concentrations," said Professor Vicki Clifton in a Genomic Press Interview published in Brain Medicine on Tuesday. The research challenges conventional understanding of stress responses during pregnancy.
While most glucocorticoid receptors typically suppress inflammation, this newly identified variant appears to enhance it. This potentially explains the complex relationship between stress and inflammation in pregnant women. Professor Clifton's research has unveiled crucial differences between male and female f.
