The Tommy’s Project: understanding how pregnancy goes wrong
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Authors list
Professor Ed Johnstone, Jessica Morecroft, Christine Hughes, Kate Widdows, Raianne Wallworth
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Research centre
Start: December 2015
End: Ongoing
Why do we need this project?
Stillbirth rates in the UK remain unacceptably high. We want to understand more about why pregnancy sometimes goes wrong, so that we can help keep babies safe in the future.
Pregnancy complications such as pre-eclampsia, slow growth, diabetes and premature birth are linked to stillbirth or death soon after birth. Researchers think that there are many possible causes for each individual complication, and that they may also be related.
However, we still don’t know enough about the causes of these complications to be able to diagnose them early and treat or prevent them. We need to build up a better picture of the causes of these interrelated complications, so that we can stop babies dying before and after birth.
What is the Tommy’s Project?
To help with this, our researchers in Manchester set up the Tommy’s Project. This is a ‘biobank’ which provides researchers with samples and data to study the causes of stillbirth and death soon after birth.
Women with either normal or complicated pregnancies donate samples of their placenta, and provide information about their pregnancies. They are approached early in pregnancy, so that we can maximise the amount of information they can provide.
Since November 2018, more than 1,000 women have donated their placenta and other tissue samples for research. These samples are being used by scientists at the Tommy’s research centre in Manchester. The Tommy’s Project in Manchester is also linked with other biobanks at Tommy’s centres across the UK, to form the national Tommy’s Reproductive Health Biobank.
What difference will this project make?
The Tommy’s Project biobank is a vital resource for scientists, enabling them to carry out research which wouldn’t otherwise be possible. By shedding light on complications such as pre-eclampsia, slow growth, gestational diabetes and premature birth, the Tommy’s Project will help us to find ways to prevent stillbirth and save more babies lives.
More research projects
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Research into stillbirth
Research into stillbirthWhen a baby dies after 24 weeks of gestation, it is called a stillbirth. Nearly 3000 families a year get the devastating news that their baby is not alive. Our research is helping to change this. -
Understanding how the womb lining matures during pre-eclampsia
Understanding how the womb lining matures during pre-eclampsiaPre-eclampsia can lead to health problems and sometimes stillbirth, but we don’t know enough about what causes it. Our researchers are studying how the lining of the womb develops during early pregnancy. This could reveal new ways to prevent pre-eclampsia and reduce the risk of stillbirth. -
The AFFIRM trial for prevention of stillbirth
The AFFIRM trial for prevention of stillbirthResearchers supported by Tommy’s are looking at whether a package of care and resources for pregnant women can help stop stillbirths. -
MiNESS – is there a link between stillbirth and a woman’s position going to sleep?
MiNESS – is there a link between stillbirth and a woman’s position going to sleep?A study led by Professor Alex Heazell at the Tommy’s Stillbirth Research Centre at St Mary’s Hospital, Manchester, investigated the link between stillbirth and a woman’s sleeping pattern. -
Diabetes, fetal growth and stillbirth
Diabetes, fetal growth and stillbirthWomen suffering from type 1 or type 2 diabetes are more likely to suffer from stillbirths. We want to help people with diabetes to have healthy pregnancies. -
Preventing stillbirth: the role of the immune system in rejecting the placenta
Preventing stillbirth: the role of the immune system in rejecting the placentaTommy’s are studying chronic histiocytic intervillositis, which causes the immune system to reject the placenta, leading to stillbirth or miscarriage. -
Can low levels of taurine make stillbirth more likely?
Can low levels of taurine make stillbirth more likely?Tommy’s researchers are looking at how the lack of an important nutrient might harm the placenta during pregnancy, putting women at a higher risk of stillbirth. -
Homing peptides: targeting drugs to the placenta
Homing peptides: targeting drugs to the placentaDrugs which could help prevent pregnancy complications can’t reach the placenta effectively. Tommy’s researchers are making use of ‘homing peptides’ to deliver drugs directly to the placenta. This work could help to prevent pregnancy complications and stillbirth.