Prenatal Hypoxia and Placental Oxidative Stress: Linkages to Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR, a pregnancy complication where the fetus does not reach its genetic growth potential) is a leading cause of fetal morbidity and mortality with a significant impact on population health. IUGR is associated with gestational hypoxia; which can lead to placental oxidative stress and fetal programming of cardiovascular disease. Mitochondria are a major source of placental oxidative stress and may provide a therapeutic target to mitigate the detrimental effects of placental oxidative stress on pregnancy outcomes. A nanoparticle-mediated delivery of a mitochondrial antioxidant to the placenta is a potential novel approach that may avoid unwanted off-target effects on the developing offspring.

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