Biomarkers for a successful pregnancy - 17 October 2013

Biomarkers for a successful pregnancy

Thursday, 17 October 2013

Cineworld: The O2, London, SE10 0DX, UK

Successful biomarker profiling in pregnant or prenatal women could not only help predict the pregnancy risk to mothers, but also survival rate of the unborn child and any possible future complications. There is a wide range of possibility for using biomarkers in pregnancy and prenatal testing. For example, research is currently being undertaken to identify biomarkers for

• Identifying: ectopic pregnancy, potential rejection of pregnancy by the mother, possible cardiovascular issues,maternal autoimmune development and hypertensive disorders

• Assessing: pregnancy outcome

• Revealing: maternal alcohol consumption and maternal tobacco use

• Avoiding: reducing multiple pregnancy

to highlight just a few. This event aims to focus on the current research in this area and discuss the way forward in using biomarkers as a predictive and diagnostic tool to improve pregnancy outcome internationally.

This event has CPD accreditation and is part of the 2013 Pregnancy Summit - www.PregnancySummit2013.com

Meeting Chair: Professor Gordon C S Smith, Professor & Head of Department, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cambridge University

Who Should Attend
Biotech and Pharma Industry Managers: CEOs, Chief Scientists, Group Heads, Senior and Junior Scientists, Research working in the field of biomarkers or pregnancy

Academic and Research Institutes: Group and Lab Heads, Postdoctoral Scientists and Research Students working in the field of biomarkers or pregnancy

Clinicians: Anyone working in the field of pregnancy and diagnosing pregnancy-related illnesses and pregnancy outcome

The Deadline for abstract submissions has now passed. Abstracts for poster presentation only can be submitted up to two weeks before the event. You can download the instructions for authors at
www.euroscicon.com/AbstractsForOralAndPosterPresentation.pdf

Talk times include 5 – 10 minutes for questions

9:00 – 9:45 Registration

9:45 – 10:00 Introduction by the Chair: Professor Gordon C S Smith, Professor & Head of Department, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cambridge University, UK

10:00 – 10:30 Proteomic biomarkers for the prediction of pre-eclampsia in nulliparous women

Dr Jenny Myers, Clinical Senior Lecturer, University of Manchester, UK

Preeclampsia, a serious hypertensive pregnancy complication, is largely unpredictable in healthy nulliparous pregnant women. Accurate preeclampsia prediction in this population would transform antenatal care. We have applied proteomic methods in samples (n=600) obtained through the international SCOPE study in order to identify potential markers predictive of this condition. Candidate proteins have been verified using novel mass spectrometry assays using selective reaction monitoring. Two experimental models will be presented; novel candidate markers pregnancy specific glycoproteins 2, 5 and 9, Insulin-like growth factor acid labile subunit, Serine peptidase inhibitor Kunitz type 1 , Melanoma cell adhesion molecule and Selenoprotein P. The potential predictive performance of these markers will be discussed.

10:30 – 11:00 Screening low risk women for adverse pregnancy outcome

Professor Gordon C S Smith, Professor & Head of Department,Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cambridge University, UK

Screening low-risk women for the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome, such as pre-eclampsia and fetal growth restricition (FGR), is still largely based on clinical assessment, due to negative trials of new methods. I argue that previous studies have weaknesses in their design and have focused on preterm complications despite the lack of clearly effective interventions to improve outcome. A significant proportion of severe pre-eclampsia and FGR occurs at term and could plausibly be prevented by novel screening tests and early term delivery of high-risk women. It is likely that combining ultrasonic assessment and maternal biomarkers could provide clinically useful prediction of risk.

11:00 – 11:30 Speakers’ photo then mid-morning break and poster exhibition and trade show

11:30 – 12:00 Cell transfer between mother and child in pregnancy

Dr Kathleen Gillespie, Senior Lecturer, University of Bristol, UK

The bi-directional transfer of cells between mother and child in pregnancy resulting in microchimerism is now well accepted but effects on health and disease remain controversial. In this presentation, the current understanding of the long term effects of these cells on autoimmunity and tissue repair will be addressed.

12:00 – 12:30 Intrauterine inflammation - Different etiologies and implication

Professor Bo Jacobsson, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Sahlgrenska University, Sweden

Preterm delivery is the major problem in international perinatal medicine. Spontaneous preterm delivery is related to intra-amniotic inflammation. We have in several papers evaluated the influence of microbial invasion of the amniotic cavity (MIAC) and histological chorioamnionitis (HCA) on the magnitude of intra-amniotic inflammatory and fetal inflammatory response. In the presentation this will be integrated into the contemporary literature in the area. In the presentation also direction of further research areas will be given.

12:30 – 13:30 Lunch, poster exhibition and trade show

13:30 – 14:30 Question and Answer Session

14:30 – 15:00 Oral Presentations:

14:30 – 14:40 BIOMARKERS PREDICTING PRE-ECLAMPSIA AND THE SMALL FOR GESTATIONAL AGE INFANT: A SECONDARY ANALYSIS OF THE PELICAN STUDY

1M Griffin, MBChB, Clinical Research Fellow, 1S Duckworth, MBBS, Clinical Research Fellow, 1PT Seed, CStat, Senior Lecturer in Medical Statistics, 1 LC Chappell, PhD, Clinical Senior Lecturer in Maternal and Fetal Medicine, 1 AH Shennan, MD, Professor of Obstetrics,

1 Women’s Health Academic Centre, King’s College London, 10th floor North Wing, St Thomas’ Hospital, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7EH United Kingdom

14:40 – 14:50 A UNIQUE URINARY PROTEOME PROFILE AT 15 WEEKS’ GESTATION IN LOW-RISK WOMEN WITH SUBSEQUENT PRE-ECLAMPSIA

H.D. Mistry1, K Bramham1, S. Lynham MSc2, M.A. Ward2, D. Arya1, L. Poston1 and L.C. Chappell1.

1Women’s Health Academic Centre, King’s College London, St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, SE1 7EH and 2Centre of Excellence for Mass Spectrometry, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, London, SE5 8AF.

14:50 - 15:00 REFLECTION OF THE IMPACT OF THE ULTRASOUND TRAINING ON THE PRACTICE OF THE POST ADVANCED MIDWIFERY GRADUATES

Dr Louisa. M Tsweleng, University of Venda, Thohoyandoy, South Africa

15:00 – 15:30 Afternoon Tea, last poster session and trade show

15:30 – 16:00 Ectopic pregnancy biomarkers

Dr Andrew Horne, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, UK

Ectopic pregnancy is diagnosed using transvaginal ultrasound and serial serum beta-human chorionic gonadotrophin levels. Diagnosis is often delayed and these tests are time-consuming and costly, both psychologically to the patient and financially to health services. The development of a biomarker that differentiates a tubal ectopic from an intrauterine implantation is therefore important. In the pre-genomic era, a one-by-one scientific approach has revealed over 20 candidate biomarkers that could be used as a test to diagnose ectopic pregnancy although at present their clinical utility is very limited. Recent approaches using microarray and proteomic technology have facilitated the identification of further biomarkers.

16:00 – 16:30 Maternal urinary metabolomics and proteomic screening for Downs Syndrome pregnancy – accurate, earlier, faster and affordable.

Professor Ray Iles, ELK Foundation for Health Research and MAP Diagnostics, UK

Screening for Downs Syndrome pregnancy is based on the quantitative measurement of a panel of serum biochemical markers. Recently maternal blood circulating cell free fetal DNA (ccFFDNA), subjected to quantitative genomics and bioinformatics has been developed as a new screening test: The results being generated in days/weeks. We have been examining the mass spectral profiles of maternal urinary metabolites in women who carried an aneuploid fetus. MALDI-ToF analysis of neat urine detected all Downs syndrome pregnancies at <14 weeks with no false positives. This test is more accurate, earlier, faster than current practice. Its advantage over ccffDNA testing is in health logistics (urine can be collected at home and results in hours) and cost – 100 times cheaper.

16:30 - 17:00 Obesity and pregnancy – searching for biomarkers of future disease

Professor Rebecca Reynolds, Professor of Metabolic Medicine and Honorary Consultant Physician, UoE/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, UK

One in five women in the UK are obese at antenatal booking. Obesity during pregnancy is associated with increased risks for the mother (eg. gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia) and the offspring (eg. stillbirth, being born large for gestational age). The effects of maternal obesity for the child extend beyond the in utero environment with increased risk of later life obesity, metabolic disorders and premature death from cardiovascular disease. In our research clinic we characterise women with very severe obesity (BMI>40 kg/m2) in detail in order to understand mechanisms linking maternal obesity with adverse outcomes and to identify targets for intervention.

17:00 Close of meeting

Registration Website: www.regonline.co.uk/BiomarkPregnanct2013

About the Chair

Gordon Smith is Professor and Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Cambridge, UK. He graduated in Medicine from Glasgow University in 1990. He trained in Glasgow, obtaining, including sub-specialist accreditation in Maternal-Fetal Medicine in 2001. He had two Wellcome Trust clinical research training fellowships: Glasgow University (1992-1993) and Cornell University, USA (1996-1999). He gained his MD, PhD and DSc degrees from Glasgow University. His clinically orientated research focuses on the use of maternal, ultrasonic and biochemical data to determine associations with adverse pregnancy outcome. He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science in 2010.

About the Speakers

Jenny Myers graduated from Nottingham University in 1997 and following completion of her basic training in Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Jenny moved to Manchester to work in the Maternal & Fetal Health Research Centre. Her Phd, completed in 2005, was entitled “Circulating Factors in Pre-eclampsia” and included research focusing on vascular biology and plasma proteomics. As a clinical lecturer, Jenny was awarded the William Blair Bell Lectureship in 2009. In April 2011, Jenny was appointed as Consultant Obstetrician/ Clinical Senior Lecturer (University of Manchester) and awarded an NIHR Clinician Scientist award in 2012. She continues to combine clinical work with an active research programme spanning basic science, translational and clinical studies. Her clinical and active research interests include hypertension and diabetes in pregnancy.

Kathleen Gillespie is a molecular biologist with a long term interest in the genetic mechanisms underlying autoimmunity. She is currently Senior Lecturer in the School of Clinical Sciences, University of Bristol.

Bo Jacobsson is a senior consultant in Obstetrics and Maternal/Fetal Medicine and got his PhD at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He carried out his post-doctoral research training at Aarhus University in Denmark and has been a Guest Professor at Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway. He is presently the director of the Perinatal Research Laboratory at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg. He also holds a position at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. He is studying basic and applied aspects of the mechanisms of preterm delivery and genetics in complex disease. Another area that has attracted his interest is genetic components of the timing of delivery and also the interplay between genes and the environment. One of his main interests for the moment is the possibility to prevent preterm delivery to happen by intervention with dietary products, e.g. probiotics. He has published more than 100 original papers between 2002 and 2013.

Andrew Horne is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health at the University of Edinburgh (www.crh.ed.ac.uk/research/dr-andrew-horne) and an Honorary Consultant Gynaecologist at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He has a major research interest in Fallopian tube and endometrial biology, embryo implantation and early pregnancy problems. His aim is to further understanding of the causes of ectopic pregnancy, develop a blood test to better diagnose the condition, and investigate novel methods for treating ectopic pregnancy.

Ray Iles has 25 years experience in clinical chemistry and molecular diagnostics from Downs Syndrome screening to biomarkers of cancer metastasis. Eight years of University senior manager experience, whilst maintaining active research as a Professor of Biomedical Sciences and expert in Biomarkers and oncofetal antigen biology. Currently developing IP to market biotechnology tech transfer in cancer and prenatal diagnosis; also future patents linking salivary biomarkers with stress profiling and wellbeing.

Rebecca Reynolds is Professor of Metabolic Medicine in the Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh and a Principal Investigator in the Tommys Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health, University of Edinburgh, which has focus on obesity in pregnancy. Her work focuses on understanding the link between low birthweight and later life disease with a focus on glucocorticoid hormones. Her research has shown that activation of stress hormones is a key mechanism linking early development with health and disease over the lifespan. Her clinical work includes diabetes, endocrinology, obesity and pregnancy and reproductive endocrinology.

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