GDF15 linked to severe nausea in pregnancy; plus Carvykti mechanism and more

A team led by Stephen O’Rahilly at  University of Cambridge and collaborators at  University of Southern California revealed in Nature that fetal production of the hormone GDF15, and maternal sensitivity to it, contribute to the risk of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a severe form of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy that occurs in 0.3-3% of pregnancies.

The authors show that levels of GDF15 in the maternal bloodstream increase steadily in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and low levels of GDF15 in the non-pregnant state increase the risk of developing HG. Conversely, women with a condition where GDF15 levels are chronically high, report low levels of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. The results suggest that maternal sensitivity is at least partly determined by pre-pregnancy exposure to the hormone...