NICHDevelopments – December 2022

Simulated driving program reduces crash risk for teens with ADHD in small study

A program that combines computer-based and driving simulator training may reduce the proportion of crashes and near crashes among teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to a small study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Teens who took the training, which aims to reduce the number of long glances away from the roadway, had a nearly 40% lower risk for crash or near crash, compared to a similar group who did not undergo the training.

NIH-funded researchers examine uterine prolapse surgical trial outcomes

For women who experienced a recurrence of pelvic organ prolapse after a procedure called mesh hysteropexy, those who pursued additional surgery had symptoms early (most within 12 months after their initial surgery) and remained symptom-free after their second procedure, according to an analysis supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Common chemical may promote fibroid growth, small NIH-funded study suggests

Exposure to a chemical found in a wide variety of consumer products may trigger the growth of uterine fibroid cells and delay the rate at which they die, suggests a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study provides a potential explanation for why women exposed to industrial chemicals known as phthalates—found in personal care products, food packaging, and medical products—have higher rates of fibroid tumors than other women.

NIH-funded study in mice suggests bacteria rely on metal tolerance to cause pregnancy-related infection

A bacterial species that causes chorioamnionitis—an infection of the placenta and fetal membranes that often leads to preterm birth—relies on a gene for metal tolerance to hijack immune cells, suggests a study in mice funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings indicate that strategies to target the gene and its products could eliminate one of the most common causes of preterm birth.

Mouse model of rare disease highlights importance of balance between two opposing proteins

Reducing levels of the protein WAPL may partially correct disease traits caused by a deficiency of NIPBL, a protein with the opposite function, suggests a mouse study by scientists at the National Institutes of Health. Most cases of the rare developmental disorder Cornelia de Lange syndrome result from genetic mutations that reduce NIPBL’s ability to load cohesin—a group of proteins with an important role in directing embryonic development—onto chromosomes. WAPL removes cohesin from chromosomes.

NIH’s Office of Extramural Research News

• Update on Simplifying Review Criteria: A Request for Information
• Clinical Trials
• Requests for Information (RFIs)
• Funding Data

• NICHD Stillbirth Working Group of Council Listening Session (January 5)