Observational Study of Placental Extracellular Vesicles in Healthy and Complicated Pregnancies Including Pre-eclampsia, Gestational Diabetes, and Fetal Growth Restriction

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how tiny particles called extracellular vesicles EVs, released by the placenta, contribute to pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia PET, gestational diabetes mellitus GDM, and fetal growth restriction FGR. These conditions affect both mother and baby, and EVs may carry signals that influence how cells function and potentially play a role in these diseases. This observational study aims to better understand these molecular links by studying healthy pregnancies, pregnancies at risk of PET, and pregnancies affected by PET, GDM, or FGR, alongside non-pregnant healthy women. Participants will not receive any treatments as this is a non-interventional study. Instead, researchers will collect various samples including blood, urine, breath, voice recordings, placenta, umbilical cord, and amniotic fluid to analyze EVs and other factors. The study includes pregnant women with different health conditions as well as healthy non-pregnant women, enabling comparisons across groups to identify molecular changes associated with these pregnancy complications. Participants will provide demographic and clinical information and undergo sample collection at baseline and delivery. Researchers will study immune cells and EV content to understand inflammation and other mechanisms linked to PET and GDM. The main outcome is to improve knowledge of how placental EVs relate to systemic inflammation in pregnancy complications. This study is conducted by the University of Oxford and will continue through May 2030.

Placental Biology in Health and Disease