Carrying a pregnancy to term is a complex biological process with numerous potential physiological challenges that can prevent a woman from successfully having a child. Among the hurdles to a viable pregnancy is the disruption of the development of the endometrium – the inner lining of the uterus – to host an embryo.
Xiaoqiu (Churchill) Wang, an associate professor in the Department of Animal Science at NC State University, is investigating the fundamental molecular mechanisms that control this critical transition of uterine function during early pregnancy with support from a $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Wang, who is the principal investigator for the grant, will serve as the scientific lead for an interdisciplinary team that includes Xinxia Peng, a professor of computational biology and bioinformatics in NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and researchers from Duke University School of Medicine.
The transition of the endometrium to support pregnancy must occur within a relatively narrow period of time. Problems with that transition, Wang says, can contribute to implantation failure and pregnancy loss.
“Successful pregnancy requires both a healthy embryo and a uterus that is biologically prepared to support implantation at precisely the right time,” says Wang, who was recently honored with an Early Career Achievement Award from the American Society of Animal Science Foundation. “We want to understand the fundamental mechanisms that coordinate this process and what happens when that coordination is disrupted.”
A major focus of the research includes epigenetic regulation – the biological mechanisms that influence when and how genes function without changing the underlying DNA sequence – and how these mechanisms help prepare the endometrium for pregnancy.
Previous research from Wang’s laboratory has shown that disruption of epigenetic regulation can compromise uterine function during the establishment of pregnancy. This new NIH-supported project will build on those discoveries to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the molecular regulatory networks governing endometrial function, implantation and early pregnancy.
Wang says the long-term goal is to establish a stronger biological foundation for reproductive conditions associated with impaired endometrial function.
“Decoding this regulatory network will help identify normal molecular targets for improving implantation outcomes and treating recurrent implantation failure, recurrent pregnancy loss, endometriosis and endometrial cancer,” Wang says.
The new grant complements a previous NIH grant awarded to Wang to investigate the processes that regulate uterine function during reproductive aging. Together with other federally funded projects, these awards contribute to Wang’s broader research program at NC State, which spans both biomedical and agricultural reproductive research.
“Dr. Wang’s continued success in securing competitive federal research awards reflects the rigor, significance and broad impact of his research program,” says Amy Grunden, associate dean for research and director of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service. “Importantly, his work demonstrates the growing reach of CALS research and the college’s important contributions to advancing our understanding of women’s reproductive health.”
Wang says this new project expands his laboratory’s biomedical research efforts and further strengthens interdisciplinary connections across NC State and other institutions.
“This collaboration allows us to bring together different areas of expertise to address fundamental questions about reproduction,” Wang says. “It also reflects the interdisciplinary nature of reproductive biology and the connections among animal science, biomedical research and human health.”
This post was originally published in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences News.
