Imprinted Igf News Today

Reproductive biologists at the University of Cambridge, U.K., have identified a molecular pathway that fetuses use to communicate their growing needs to the placenta, promoting its growth and ensuring an adequate nutrient supply during late pregnancy. The imprinted gene called IGF2 is needed for the growth, the authors show. The study also reveals an epigenomic tug-of-war between maternal and paternal genes that may help explain why some babies grow poorly in the womb.

Cambridge scientists have identified a key signal that the fetus uses to control its supply of nutrients from the placenta, revealing a tug-of-war