The Urschitz laboratory works towards understanding the molecular mechanisms mediating the aberrant programming of the fetus, which can impact an individual's health into adulthood.
Pregnancy has been described as a window to future health. The placenta, facilitating nutrient exchange between maternal and fetal circulation, plays a pivotal role in regulating fetal growth and development. Perturbations to fetal growth may lead to poor neonatal outcomes and long-term health issues such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurodevelopmental disorders in the offspring. However, the mechanisms linking in utero nutrient disturbances, fetal growth and disease development later in life are poorly understood and specific clinical treatments are lacking. By modulating molecular targets in vivo in the placenta, in a tightly regulated temporal and spatial controlled fashion using sonoporation, Dr. Urschitz aims to improve placental function by restoring placental signaling pathways (mTor, PPARG) to normalize trophoblast amino acid transport, mitochondrial respiration, placental blood flow, and fetal growth in mice.
Additionally, Dr. Urschitz initiated the investigation of microplastic (MP) particles within the placenta and related implications for pregnancy complications. An initial groundbreaking study of the placental microenvironment of women in Hawaii aimed to uncover how MP pollution affects cellular and molecular pathways, potentially contributing to complications such as fetal growth abnormalities or preeclampsia. These studies aim to enhance our knowledge of placental function, fetal development, and the effects of environmental factors on maternal and child health.
Rosario FJ, Urschitz J, Powell, TL, Brown TL, Jansson T. Overexpression of the LAT1 in primary human trophoblast cells increases the uptake of essential amino acids and activates mTOR signaling. Clin Sci; 2023; PMID: 37861075
Weingrill RB, Lee MJ, Benny P, Riel J, Saiki K, Garcia J, Oliveira LFAM, Fonseca EJDS, Souza ST, D'Amato FOS, Silva UR, Dutra ML, Marques ALX, Borbely AU, Urschitz J. Temporal trends in microplastic accumulation in placentas from pregnancies in Hawai'i. Environ Int. 2023; PMID: 37741006; PMCID: PMC10593309
Benny P, Ahn HJ, Burlingame J, Lee MJ, Miller C, Chen J, Urschitz J. Genetic risk factors associated with gestational diabetes in a multi-ethnic population. PLoS One 2021;PMID: 34928995; PMCID: PMC8687569
Elston M, Urschitz J. Transposase-mediated gene modulation in the placenta. Placenta. 2017; PMID: 28778732; PMCID: PMC5682209.
Anderson CD, Urschitz J, Khemmani M, Owens JB, Moisyadi S, Shohet RV, Walton CB. Ultrasound directs a transposase system for durable hepatic gene delivery in mice. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2013; PMID: 24035623; PMCID: PMC3838570.
Urschitz J, Kawasumi M, Owens J, Morozumi K, Yamashiro H, Stoytchev I, Marh J, Dee JA, Kawamoto K, Coates CJ, Kaminski JM, Pelczar P, Yanagimachi R, Moisyadi S. Helper-independent piggyBac plasmids for gene delivery approaches: strategies for avoiding potential genotoxic effects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2010; PMID: 20404201; PMCID: PMC2889585.
Brizzolara SS, Killeen J, Urschitz J. Gene expression profile in pelvic organ prolapse. Molecular human reproduction. 2009; PMID: 19056808; PMCID: PMC2639232.
