Scientists Discover The First Ever Safe Way To Send Medication Into the Placenta
For the first time in history, scientists have found a way to safely send drugs into the placenta during pregnancy. This finding holds the possibility of one day being able to avoid premature births and treat common complications that often occur during early pregnancy.
At least 10 percent of pregnant women experience serious complications due to error in placenta functioning. This new way of administering drugs without harming the fetus could eliminate such malfunction.
The new study was conducted by a team of researchers around the globe who have found a way to strengthen the placenta throughout pregnancy to avoid unnecessary complications. Science Advances journal holds the published study which brings hope to women who have experienced premature birth or preeclampsia during their pregnancies.
Co-Author Erkki Ruoslahti from the University of Santa Barbara Californias Center for Nanomedicine and Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology says the teams research found many interesting similarities between placentas and tumors. Peptides are already used in both the science and medical worlds as a way to home in on tumors. Thanks to the new connection between tumors and the placenta, these peptides can be taught to target drugs directly into the placenta without traveling to other areas of the body.
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http://sciencenewsjournal.com/university-california-discovers-way-safely-send-medication-placenta/