329 results match your criteria: "Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology.[Affiliation]"

Effect of Reproductive Tract Microbiota on Vaginal Fibroblasts in Pelvic Organ Prolapse.

Urogynecology (Phila)

December 2024

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Boston, MA.

Importance: The effect of vaginal bacteria on wound healing is an evolving area of study. Bacterial vaginosis (BV), characterized by an overgrowth of anaerobic bacteria, is linked to increased surgical site infections after pelvic surgery. While BV-associated microbes are known to impair epithelial repair, their effects on fibroblasts, which are crucial for wound healing and prolapse recurrence after pelvic organ prolapsesurgery, are unclear.

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Tissue Processing and Isolation of Primary Fibroblasts from the Human Vagina.

J Vis Exp

November 2024

Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology.

Pelvic organ prolapse is a disorder that seriously impacts the quality of life of women. It occurs when muscles and ligaments weaken and cause pelvic organs to drop lower in the pelvis, creating a bulge in the vagina. Surgery to correct pelvic organ prolapse has been a mainstay treatment.

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Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by the excessive proliferation of keratinocytes, forming thickened skin plaques due to immune-mediated cytokine responses. Delivering drugs through this barrier to target inflamed tissues remains challenging. Nimbolide (NIM), known for its anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, shows promise in managing psoriasis.

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Enhanced placental antibody transfer efficiency with longer interval between maternal respiratory syncytial virus vaccination and birth.

Am J Obstet Gynecol

November 2024

Massachusetts General Hospital, Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Boston, MA; Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Electronic address:

Background: Respiratory syncytial virus is associated with significant neonatal and infant morbidity and mortality. Maternal bivalent respiratory syncytial virus prefusion F respiratory syncytial virus vaccination to protect neonates and infants was approved in September 2023 for administration between 32+0 and 36+6 weeks to protect neonates and infants. This approved timeframe is narrower than the 24 to 36 week window evaluated in the clinical trial, due to the possible association between preterm birth and vaccine administration.

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SARS-CoV-2 infection elucidates features of pregnancy-specific immunity.

Cell Rep

November 2024

Department of Immunology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • - Pregnancy may worsen the severity of SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory infections, but the reasons behind this increased risk are not well understood.
  • - A study involving 226 women, including 152 pregnant and 74 non-pregnant, showed that pregnant women experience significant changes in T cell responses and immune functions after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
  • - The study found increased levels of interleukin-27 in pregnant women, which is linked to T cell exhaustion, suggesting that unique immune responses during pregnancy could make them more vulnerable to viral infections.
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A new case of dementia is diagnosed every 3 s. Beyond age, risk prediction of dementia is challenging. There is growing evidence of underlying processes that connect aging across organ systems and may provide insight for early detection, and there is a need to identify early biomarkers at an age when action can be taken to mitigate cognitive decline.

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Vaginal lactobacilli produce anti-inflammatory β-carboline compounds.

Cell Host Microbe

November 2024

Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Electronic address:

The optimal vaginal microbiome is a Lactobacillus-dominant community. Apart from Lactobacillus iners, the presence of Lactobacillus species is associated with reduced vaginal inflammation and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Loss of Lactobacillus-dominance is associated with inflammatory conditions, such as bacterial vaginosis (BV).

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers tested the anti-hypertensive drug losartan in ovarian cancer models, discovering that it improves the tumor microenvironment and enhances drug delivery and immune cell activity while also making cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy.
  • * Given its safety and low cost, losartan could be a promising addition to treatments for ovarian cancer, potentially improving outcomes for patients.
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Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP), or emesis gravidarum, is a frequent complication of early gestation with unclear causes, suspected to involve genetic, hormonal, and gastrointestinal factors. Our study investigated the association of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), histamine, diamine oxidase (DAO), thyroxine and pyridoxine and the severity of NVP symptoms and assessed the efficacy of a vitamin C-containing chewing gum as a potential NVP treatment. In this prospective, double-blinded, randomized, controlled trial, 111 participants were assigned to receive vitamin C-containing chewing gum, placebo gum, or no treatment at two follow-ups during early pregnancy.

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HPV-YAP1 oncogenic alliance drives malignant transformation of fallopian tube epithelial cells.

EMBO Rep

October 2024

Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Vincent Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.

High grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) is the most common and aggressive ovarian malignancy. Accumulating evidence indicates that HGSOC may originate from human fallopian tube epithelial cells (FTECs), although the exact pathogen(s) and/or molecular mechanism underlying the malignant transformation of FTECs is unclear. Here we show that human papillomavirus (HPV), which could reach FTECs via retrograde menstruation or sperm-carrying, interacts with the yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) to drive the malignant transformation of FTECs.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances exposure is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome risk among women attending a fertility clinic.

Sci Total Environ

November 2024

Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Fertility Center, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.

Previous studies reported that exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), largely in higher exposed populations, were associated with elevated risk of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, studies evaluating PCOS risk in populations with lower background exposures to PFAS are limited. This study aimed to examine the associations between serum PFAS concentrations and PCOS risk among women attending a U.

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Eighteen-Month Outcomes Among Pregnant and Nonpregnant Reproductive-Aged People Hospitalized for Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Open Forum Infect Dis

July 2024

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Article Synopsis
  • Pregnant individuals hospitalized for COVID-19 showed lower long-term adverse outcomes compared to nonpregnant individuals, despite challenges faced during hospitalization.
  • Data from 2020-2021 indicated that while nonpregnant participants had more comorbidities and higher rates of mechanical ventilation, pregnant participants had a significantly lower rate of complications and mortality.
  • Over 18 months post-hospitalization, pregnant individuals had a lower readmission rate, suggesting any increased risks associated with pregnancy may diminish shortly after delivery.
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The intrauterine environment plays a critical role in shaping chronic disease risk over the life course. We prospectively evaluated cardiometabolic outcomes in toddlers born to mothers with versus without prenatal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. Children with in utero severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 exposure had higher left ventricular mass in association with altered maternal immunologic indices.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates how maternal infection with SARS-CoV-2 affects immune responses in the placenta and its implications for fetal brain development, particularly focusing on Hofbauer cells (HBCs), which act as fetal placental macrophages.
  • Researchers analyzed HBCs from term placentas of pregnant individuals who tested positive or negative for SARS-CoV-2, finding notable differences in gene expression and impaired functions like phagocytosis in certain HBC subpopulations.
  • The findings indicate that HBCs can be transformed into microglia-like cells, allowing for personalized models to study microglial programming in children affected by maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Hofbauer cells and fetal brain microglia share transcriptional profiles and responses to maternal diet-induced obesity.

Cell Rep

June 2024

Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Ob/Gyn, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. Electronic address:

Maternal immune activation is associated with adverse offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes, many mediated by in utero microglial programming. As microglia remain inaccessible throughout development, identification of noninvasive biomarkers reflecting fetal brain microglial programming could permit screening and intervention. We used lineage tracing to demonstrate the shared ontogeny between fetal brain macrophages (microglia) and fetal placental macrophages (Hofbauer cells) in a mouse model of maternal diet-induced obesity, and single-cell RNA-seq to demonstrate shared transcriptional programs.

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Aquaporins (AQPs) are small, integral proteins facilitating water transport across plasma cell membranes in response to osmotic gradients. This family has 13 unique members (AQP0-12), which can also transport glycerol, urea, gases, and other salute small molecules. AQPs play a crucial role in the regulation of different cellular processes, including metabolism, migration, immunity, barrier function, and angiogenesis.

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Objective: The aim of the study is to identify appropriate definitions and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for each of the eight core outcomes previously selected for genitourinary symptoms associated with menopause: pain with sex, vulvovaginal dryness, vulvovaginal discomfort or irritation, discomfort or pain when urinating, change in most bothersome symptom, distress, bother or interference of genitourinary symptoms, satisfaction with treatment, and side effects.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review to identify possible definitions and PROMs, including their measurement properties. Identified definitions and relevant PROMs with acceptable measurement properties were entered into an international consensus process involving 28 participants from 10 countries to achieve final recommendations for each core outcome.

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High-Grade Endometrial Cancer: Molecular Subtypes, Current Challenges, and Treatment Options.

Reprod Sci

September 2024

Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, 60 Blossom St, 02114, Boston, MA, USA.

Although many recent advancements have been made in women's health, perhaps one of the most neglected areas of research is the diagnosis and treatment of high-grade endometrial cancer (EnCa). The molecular classification of EnCa in concert with histology was a major step forward. The integration of profiling for mismatch repair deficiency and Human Epidermal Growth Factor 2 (HER2) overexpression, can further inform treatment options, especially for drug resistant recurrent disease.

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Objective: Maternal obesity affects 39.7% of reproductive-age women in the United States. Emerging research has suggested that in utero exposure to maternal obesity is associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, but knowledge of underlying mechanisms in human samples is lacking.

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Sialyl-Tn serves as a potential therapeutic target for ovarian cancer.

J Ovarian Res

April 2024

Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.

Background: Ovarian cancer remains the deadliest of the gynecologic cancers in the United States. There have been limited advances in treatment strategies that have seen marked increases in overall survival. Thus, it is essential to continue developing and validating new treatment strategies and markers to identify patients who would benefit from the new strategy.

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Previous studies have examined the predictors of PFAS concentrations among pregnant women and children. However, no study has explored the predictors of preconception PFAS concentrations among couples in the United States. This study included 572 females and 279 males (249 couples) who attended a U.

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Completion of a COVID-19 vaccination series during pregnancy effectively reduces COVID-19 hospitalization among infants less than 6 months of age. The dynamics of transplacental transfer of maternal vaccine-induced antibodies, and their persistence in infants at 2, 6, 9, and 12 months, have implications for new vaccine development and optimal timing of vaccine administration in pregnancy. We evaluated anti-COVID antibody IgG subclass, Fc-receptor binding profile, and activity against wild-type Spike and RBD plus five variants of concern (VOCs) in 153 serum samples from 100 infants.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers studied a protein called Galectin 3 (Gal3) to see how it affects USC and found that high levels of Gal3 mean worse outcomes for patients.
  • * Experiments showed that blocking Gal3 can slow down the growth of USC cells and might help treat patients better.
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