Researchers found that babies with growth problems in the womb have a placenta that doesn’t work as well as it should. The placenta is like a bridge that feeds the baby nutrients. Scientists discovered that a protein called DEPTOR is blocking the placenta’s ability to transport important amino acids (building blocks for growth) to the baby. When they turned off this blocking protein in lab-grown placenta cells from affected pregnancies, the cells started working normally again. This discovery could lead to new treatments to help babies grow better before birth and might even affect their health later in life.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Why some babies don’t grow properly in the womb and whether fixing a specific protein problem in the placenta could help them grow better
  • Who participated: Scientists studied placenta cells from pregnancies where babies weren’t growing well, compared them to healthy cells, and looked at data from a long-term study of children and their birth outcomes
  • Key finding: A protein called DEPTOR was overactive in placentas of babies with growth problems, which stopped important nutrients from reaching the baby. When researchers turned off this protein in lab cells, the placenta started working normally again and could transport nutrients properly
  • What it means for you: This research suggests that future treatments targeting this DEPTOR protein might help babies grow better in the womb. However, this is early-stage research done in lab cells, so it’s not yet a treatment doctors can use. More testing in animals and humans would be needed before any clinical use

The Research Details

This research combined laboratory experiments with data from a real-world study. First, scientists grew placenta cells in dishes from pregnancies where babies had growth problems. They compared these cells to healthy placenta cells to understand what was different. They discovered that a protein called DEPTOR was too active in the problem cells, which was blocking nutrient transport. Then they used a special technique to turn off the DEPTOR gene and watched what happened to the cells.

The researchers also looked at data from the Healthy Start Study, which followed pregnant women and their children over many years. They measured DEPTOR levels in placentas and compared them to how much babies weighed at birth and how healthy the children were years later.

This combination of lab work and real-world data helps scientists understand both how the problem works and whether it matters for actual human health.

Understanding what goes wrong in growth-restricted pregnancies is important because it affects about 5-10% of all pregnancies. Babies born too small have more health problems. By studying the actual cells from affected pregnancies, scientists can see exactly what’s broken and test whether fixing it would help. This approach is more reliable than just guessing based on theory

The study is well-designed because it uses multiple approaches: lab experiments, real human cells from affected pregnancies, and long-term health data from actual children. The researchers showed that their findings were consistent across different experiments. However, the work was done in lab dishes, not in living people, so results may not work exactly the same way in real pregnancies. The study also didn’t specify exact sample sizes for all experiments, which makes it harder to judge how reliable some findings are

What the Results Show

Scientists found that placenta cells from growth-restricted pregnancies had too much DEPTOR protein, which acted like a brake on the cell’s nutrient-transport system. This brake blocked two important nutrient transporters (SNAT2 and LAT1) from reaching the cell surface where they could pick up amino acids. The cells also had lower levels of other proteins needed to move these transporters to the surface.

When researchers used genetic techniques to silence the DEPTOR gene in these problem cells, something remarkable happened: the cells returned to normal. The nutrient transporters moved back to the cell surface, and the cells could absorb amino acids at normal rates again. This showed that DEPTOR was the main problem causing the nutrient transport failure.

The researchers also discovered that low oxygen levels (which occur in some problem pregnancies) caused cells to make more DEPTOR. This suggests that when a placenta isn’t getting enough oxygen, it makes more of this blocking protein, which makes the nutrient problem worse.

In the long-term health study, children whose placentas had high DEPTOR levels at birth weighed less and had higher blood pressure at ages 4-6 years old. This suggests that the placenta problems might have lasting effects on children’s health beyond just birth weight. The connection between placental DEPTOR and later blood pressure is particularly interesting because it suggests these early growth problems might increase disease risk later in life

Previous research showed that growth-restricted pregnancies have problems with mTOR signaling (a cellular control system) and nutrient transport, but scientists didn’t know exactly why. This study identifies DEPTOR as a key culprit. The finding that DEPTOR blocks nutrient transport through multiple pathways explains why growth restriction is so hard to reverse—it’s not just one broken part, but a whole system that’s been shut down. The connection to low oxygen is also new and helps explain why some pregnancies develop these problems

This research was done in cells grown in dishes, not in actual pregnancies, so results might work differently in real babies. The study didn’t test whether turning off DEPTOR would actually help babies grow in animal pregnancies, which would be the next important step. The long-term health study showed a connection between DEPTOR and blood pressure, but couldn’t prove that DEPTOR actually caused the blood pressure problems—other factors could be involved. The study also didn’t specify exact numbers of cells or samples tested in some experiments, making it harder to judge how reliable those specific findings are

The Bottom Line

This research is too early-stage for any clinical recommendations. It shows promise for future treatments but requires much more testing. If you’re pregnant and concerned about fetal growth, talk to your doctor about standard monitoring and care—this research doesn’t change current medical practice. For researchers and doctors: this work suggests that targeting DEPTOR might be worth exploring as a potential treatment strategy, but animal studies and eventually human trials would be needed first

This research is most relevant to pregnant women with diagnosed fetal growth restriction and their doctors, who might eventually benefit from new treatments. It’s also important for researchers developing new pregnancy treatments. Parents of children born with growth restriction might be interested in understanding the biology behind their child’s condition. The general public should know about this research because it might lead to better treatments in the future, but it doesn’t affect current pregnancy care or recommendations

This is basic research, not a treatment yet. It typically takes 5-10 years or more to go from a discovery like this to a treatment doctors can use. First, scientists need to test it in animal pregnancies (1-2 years). If that works, they’d need to develop a safe way to deliver a treatment (1-2 years). Then human trials would be needed (3-5 years). So realistic timeline for any clinical use would be at least 5-10 years away

Want to Apply This Research?

  • For pregnant users with growth concerns: track weekly ultrasound measurements and estimated fetal weight percentile. Compare to baseline measurements to monitor growth rate over time. Note any changes in symptoms or medical interventions
  • Users could set reminders for prenatal appointments, track nutrition intake (especially protein-rich foods containing amino acids), monitor stress levels (which may affect placental oxygen), and log any symptoms. While this research doesn’t yet suggest specific interventions, maintaining good nutrition and prenatal care remains important
  • For long-term tracking: record birth weight percentile and follow-up growth measurements. If applicable, track childhood blood pressure readings at regular health visits. This allows users to see if they fit the pattern described in the research and discuss results with their healthcare provider

This research describes laboratory findings in placenta cells and associations in a research study—it is not yet a proven treatment or medical recommendation. If you are pregnant or planning pregnancy, especially if you have concerns about fetal growth, consult with your obstetrician or maternal-fetal medicine specialist. Current standard prenatal care and monitoring remain the appropriate approach. Do not make any changes to pregnancy care based on this research alone. This information is for educational purposes and should not replace professional medical advice