Professor Robert Hume

This established programme of basic research whose theme is to apply the advances in molecular biology, genetics, and biochemistry to the development and application of new therapeutic approaches based on a knowledge of the regulation of human metabolism in early fetal and infant life. This has required multidisciplinary national and international collaborations to extend both the range of fundamental investigations, and clinical research.

The clinical problems of the newborn are as a result of developmental failures of expression of key genes resulting in common disorders such as respiratory distress syndrome as a result of inadequate maturation of lung, hypoglycaemia, and jaundice. Advances in antenatal and postnatal clinical care have improved the prospects of survival for high-risk pregnancies but this has, in many instances, demanded an increasing complexity of intensive care support with inherent risks and complications. Technological advances in intensive care alone cannot overcome the developmental inadequacies of infants and innovative therapeutic approaches are now required. The future care of newborn infants and the further reduction in mortality and morbidity must be through the development of preventative measures.

The ability of most full term infant to control key metabolic and physiological processes is essential for the successful transition from intra- to extra-uterine life. Many of the diseases of prematurity or of low birth weight infants are as a consequence of failure to regulate aspects of development and in particular key enzyme systems. A major element in this strategy is to determine the factors, which regulate those aspects of fetal maturation crucial to the newborn infant with the aim of therapeutic intervention in-utero or the newborn period. Molecular therapies to date have been limited such as the use of antenatal corticosteroids to accelerate fetal lung surfactant production. Other hormonal systems are being investigated, for example thyroid hormone, essential for normal human brain development, but often at inadequate levels especially in preterm infants.

Publications

Maintained by: H Murphie.

The University of Dundee is a Scottish Registered Charity, No.SC015096

Disclaimer | Privacy

Page last updated: Wednesday 23 April 2008 12:33 PM