Biology of preeclampsia: Combined actions of angiogenic factors, their receptors and placental proteins

Although massive efforts have been undertaken to elucidate the etiology of the pregnancy syndrome preeclampsia, its developmental origin remains a mystery. Most efforts of the last decade have focused on biomarkers to predict and/or diagnose preeclampsia, including the anti-angiogenic factor sFlt-1 (soluble fms-like tyrosin kinase-1), the angiogenic factor PGF (placental growth factor) and PP13 (placental protein 13). The origins of these marker proteins are still under debate, and so far their actions have only been describe separate from each other. This study will focus on the origins and actions of all three markers during pregnancy and outside pregnancy and will describe a scenario where all three markers act synergistically to rescue the mother from the deleterious effects of the debris that is released from the placenta during preeclampsia. This more holistic approach may open new avenues to think about maternal-fetal interactions and putative therapies.