Interleukin-11 alters placentation and causes preeclampsia features in mice

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1515076112
• Publication Date: 2015-12-12T03:49:00Z
• Authors: Amy L. Winship; Kaori Koga; Ellen Menkhorst; Michelle Van Sind...; Katarzyna Rainczuk; Miwako Nagai; Carly Cuman; Joanne Yap; Jian-Guo Zhang; David Simmons; Morag J. Young; Evdokia Dimitriadis
• Keywords: Placentation; Spiral artery; Trophoblast; Decidua; Interleukin 11

Significance Preeclampsia is an insidious disease, unique to humans, affecting ∼8% of pregnancies. There are no early detection tests or pharmacological treatments. Impaired placentation widely accepted contribute the pathogenesis. However, mechanisms remain elusive, given complications studying first-trimester placental development in women. A major limitation for study new treatments lack available animal models that recapitulate full spectrum preeclampsia features. We have developed a mouse model characterized by elevated levels cytokine Interleukin-11 (IL11). This provides evidence novel pathway causative features vivo . It also useful preclinical studies test potential therapeutics.