Braverman Reproductive Immunology Research Award Congratulations to Dr Jun Lei, the 2018 winner of the Braverman grant award

Posted By Braverman IVF & Reproductive Immunology || 24-July-2018

The Braverman Reproductive Immunology Research grant was awarded to Dr Lei, PhD, Research Associate at John Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD for her research project, entitled “Maternal nanoparticle-based NAC administration for prevention of ZIKA virus sequelae in offspring”.

Drs Mansouri-Attia (Research Associate at Braverman Reproductive Immunology) and Dr Hanna (ASRI president 2016-2018) awarding Dr Lei with the award grant during the 38th ASRI meeting, Shanghai, China.

Her study aims to determine the potential of dendrimer nanoparticles (N-acetyl-L-cysteine, an anti-oxidant with anti-inflammatory properties) as a therapeutic approach to minimize placental inflammation, Zika virus transmission and prevent or at least minimize Zika virus neurologic sequelae in the offspring.

Further, her work aims to better understand how the level of placental inflammation and the gestational age can alter Zika virus infection and modulate its impacts on neurologic fetal development.

While the vector inducing placental inflammation and impacting fetal brain development is here the Zika virus, the cause of placental inflammation could be different (autoimmune disease, PCOS, endometriosis, insulin resistance) and this study could bring insight on D-NAC use as a therapeutic agent preventing obstetrical complications linked to placental inflammation.

Dr Lei received a cheque of $15000 and will be presenting her work at the 39th ASRI meeting next year.