Understanding How Stress and Social Disparity Affect Preterm Birth

Stress can cause inflammation in the placenta, leading to preterm birth and death in neonatal infants. Socioeconomic status is one possible cause of maternal inflammation and may affect how the placenta functions and birth outcomes. This project will build on observations that social status impacts the packaging of DNA and regulates the ability of immune cells to respond to physiological stress. This team will begin to clarify the cellular causes of the link between DNA packaging and stress to understand if particular cell types are susceptible.