Lack of stem cells could underlie recurrent miscarriage

Miscarriage is the most common cause of loss
during pregnancy, affecting 15-25% of pregnancies.

It most commonly occurs at any time within the
first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Of women who are trying to conceive, 1% will
experience recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), or the
loss of three or more consecutive pregnancies.

Many risk factors have linked to RPL, but scientists
have not yet fully understood the underlying
causes.

Researchers at Warwick University in the UK, led
by Jan Brosens, professor of obstetrics and
gynecology, studied tissue samples from the womb
lining of 183 women.

Lack of stem cells in the womb lining of
women with RPL
The participants were receiving treatment at the
Implantation Research Clinic, University Hospitals
Coventry and Warwickshire National Health Service
(NHS) Trust in the UK.

Cultures from womb biopsies revealed that there
was no epigenetic signature indicating the
presence of stem cells, and there were fewer stem
cells overall in the women who had been through
recurrent miscarriages, compared with a control
group.

This lack of stem cells appears to speed up
cellular aging in the womb.

Renewal of the womb lining normally occurs with
each monthly cycle, after each miscarriage and
after a successful birth, but its ability to renew
depends on its stem cell population.
In patients with RPL who lack stem cells, there
appears to be accelerated aging of the womb
tissue. The aging cells mount an inflammatory
response, which helps the implantation of an
embryo but hinders its subsequent development.

The team concludes that a lack of stem cells,
leading to accelerated aging of the lining of the
womb, is causing the failure of some pregnancies.

Prof. Brosens explains:
The next step will be to research a treatment to
"correct these defects," which the authors hope
could prevent future miscarriages in women who
are affected.

Interventions could happen soon
While the authors call for further, longitudinal
studies to be carried out, they hope that pilot
interventions could start as early as this spring.

Co-author Siobhan Quenby says that future
strategies would need to increase the function of
stem cells in the womb lining. First, she says,
there is a need for new endometrial tests to
improve the screening of women who are at risk of
recurrent miscarriage.

Quenby then suggests carrying out an endometrial
"scratch." This procedure involves superficially
scratching the lining of the womb, and it is already
used with in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The scratch provokes a "repair reaction," which
helps to increase implantation rates.

The researchers believe it can help to increase the
number of stem cells in the womb lining.

The Medical information provided is from Medical News Today only for Informative and Education purpose not to be use as substitute for Informed Medical Advice please do contact your Medical doctor.