Perinatal exposure of chemicals having pregnancy/birth effects
Scientific theme
Plastic goods and cosmetics have become an integral part of our daily lives. However, we all too often forget that the chemicals in these products have a significant impact on our health. Especially in critical phases of life such as pregnancy and early childhood development, permanent exposure to certain chemicals has been shown to lead to an increase in various clinical pictures into adulthood. In addition, there is increasing evidence that exposure to individual chemicals and chemical mixtures before, during and immediately after pregnancy has negative effects on reproductive processes itself, with fatal consequences for human reproduction. In order to gain a better understanding of how chemicals work, we have set ourselves the goal of examining the individual/cumulative effects of different chemicals on female reproduction. We are particularly interested in the effects on hormonal and immunological processes that control the function of the ovaries, the implantation of the embryo in the uterus, placenta formation, fetal growth and the function of the mammary glands. All of these processes make a decisive contribution to the successful establishment and maintenance of a healthy pregnancy and enable the child to have a healthy start in life.
Team
Coordinators
Team members
Julia Howanski
Marita Wagner
Projects supported by third-party funds
| Third-party donor | Project | Coordinator |
|---|---|---|
| Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) | Impact of endocrine disrupting chemicals on innate immune cell-mediated tissue remodeling in reproductive events |
Prof. Ana Zenclussen |
| Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) | The Triangle of Pregnancy Success – Decoding the Network between Regulatory T Cells, Dendritic Cells and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Embryo Implantation | PD Dr. Anne Schumacher |
| Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) | Dissecting the participation of cold shock proteins in reproductive processes: relevance of trophoblast specific YB-1 expression for embryo development |
Prof. Ana Zenclussen |
| Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) | Study of the mechanisms underlying the salutary effects of Heme Oxygenase-1 in implantation, placentation and fetal growth using a mouse model and in vitro approaches. Participation of carbon monoxide in the preparation of the murine uterine microenvironment for pregnancy. |
Prof. Ana Zenclussen |