# Testing the efficacy of regulatory dendritic cell treatment in the prevention of preeclampsia

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2021 · $148,542

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Preeclampsia is a complex disease of pregnancy involving cardiovascular, immune, and placental dysfunction.
It is the leading cause of maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality. Preventative options are poor and the only
effective treatment is the delivery of the often pre-term fetus and the dysfunctional placenta. The current
proposal aims to investigate the potential of personalized medicine in the form of cellular immunotherapy as
a novel preventative measure for the prevention of preeclampsia.
Elevated secretion of arginine vasopressin precedes the development of physiological symptoms of
preeclampsia in humans, and infusion of vasopressin throughout gestation into wild-type mice is sufficient to
initiate the cardiovascular, renal, and immune dysregulation observed in human preeclampsia. Although
vascular and renal complications are observed clinically in preeclampsia, immune dysfunction is central to the
pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Regulatory dendritic cells have been shown to induce immune tolerance and
are a current cellular immunotherapy in ongoing clinical trials for several other immune mediated diseases.
The proposed study will test the hypothesize that treatment with regulatory dendritic cells will prevent the
cardiovascular, renal, and immune features of preeclampsia.
The overall objective of this proposal is to determine if DCreg administration is a potential preventative for
preeclampsia. In the following aims, utilizing the chronic AVP infusion mouse model of preeclampsia and primary
human mononuclear cells, we will investigate 1) the potential of DCreg to prevent the cardiovascular, renal, and
immune features of preeclampsia in mice and 2) the ability of human mononuclear cells obtained from women
with chronic hypertension and/or preeclampsia to differentiate into functional DCreg.
The vision for my career is to develop an independent, NIH-funded research program that transforms women’s
cardiovascular healthcare through innovative scientific discovery and the education of future scientists. To
continue to grow as an independent investigator and to achieve my career goals, the objective of the career
plan is to develop skills in the following areas: 1) training in assessment of vascular function as it relates to
models of preeclampsia; and 2) developing skills in translational clinical research. These will be accomplished
through both didactic coursework and experiential training through direct interactions with my mentors and
colleagues.
If regulatory dendritic cells prevent preeclampsia in the present study, this data will identify a novel cellular
immunotherapy for preventing preeclampsia. Future studies would be aimed at further understanding the
mechanism(s) of regulatory dendritic cell action and the potential of regulatory dendritic cells in preventing
preeclampsia. This project is innovative as it proposes a powerful, novel treatment as a possible prevention for
preeclampsia: personalized cellular i...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10104797
- **Project number:** 1K01HL155240-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** Sabrina Marie Scroggins
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $148,542
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2022-05-18

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10104797

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10104797, Testing the efficacy of regulatory dendritic cell treatment in the prevention of preeclampsia (1K01HL155240-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10104797. Licensed CC0.

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