Grant: China-Canada Joint Health Research Initiative

Hydatidiform mole is an aberrant human pregnancy with no embryo. The paradoxical nature of this condition has fascinated and puzzled scientists in all civilisations since the time Hippocrates. There are several forms of this condition. The common form is sporadic, not recurrent, and affects 1 in every 1000 pregnancies in Western societies. This incidence is higher in some geographical regions mainly in South Eastern Asia. By studying a rare familial form of this condition, our group identified the first and major gene, NLRP7, for this condition. The current proposal aims at identifying additional genes responsible for recurrent moles and fetal loss in Chinese patients. Reproductive wastage is a common condition that affects 15 to 20% of clinically recognized pregnancies. However, little is known about their underlying molecular mechanisms. Studying these pathologies and identifying their underlying causes provide hope for patients with these conditions for future genetic testing and prevention and at the same time will save our health system the high cost of unnecessary and redundant tests performed for patients with recurrent reproductive wastage.