Research Projects

Recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) is a condition affecting 15% of reproductive age couples and causing emotional stress. Despite extensive diagnostic investigations, 60-70% of cases remain unexplained. There is currently no evidence-based medical treatment for RPL. Lipid emulsions (LEs) are a mixture of fatty acids, including linoleic and α-linolenic unsaturated fatty acids, used as parenteral nutrition therapy since the 1960s. LET has been tested as a potential therapy for RPL patients, which increases the activity of NK cells. However, there is controversy in the literature about the benefits of this therapy. Some studies suggest that LET improves embryo implantation by restoring abnormal activity to normal levels, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which LEs act are not fully understood. This proposal plans to evaluate the effect of LEs on the function of trophoblast cells, decidual cells of the uterus, and NK cells of the immune system in the pregnant uterine microenvironment. Trophoblast cell lines and endometrial stromal cell lines will be treated with different doses of LEs, and NK cells isolated from RPL patients and normal pregnant women will be treated. The safety and efficacy of various LE formulations demonstrated in vitro during this study will serve as a background for using LET for treating RPL patients. Future randomized control trials (RCTs) using LET in RPL patients may help improve live birth rates for these women.