The USC research team that recently identified the hormone-encoding gene GDF15 as a key driver of pregnancy sickness has identified 9 additional genes linked to its most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).  Six of these genes had not been previously linked to the condition. Growing evidence shows HG has a strong biological and genetic basis and can lead to severe malnourishment, putting both mother and baby at risk. In the largest genetic study of HG to date, researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC and their international collaborators conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 10,974 women with the condition and 461,461 controls across European, Asian, African and Latino ancestries. The findings, just published in Nature Genetics, offer new clues about the condition and new hope for those affected.  The researchers identified 10 genes linked to HG—four previously identified and six new. The strongest link by far was to growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15), a gene that produces a hormone of the same name, which rises sharply during pregnancy. The other genes identified relate to key pregnancy hormones, appetite and nausea, insulin and metabolism, how the brain learns and adapts, and certain pregnancy outcomes. The findings reveal new potential treatment targets and could possibly also help match existing medications to patients based on their genetic profiles. The research team also just received approval to launch a clinical trial of metformin, a widely used diabetes medicine that increases GDF15 levels. The study will test whether taking metformin before pregnancy can desensitize women to the hormone, potentially reducing nausea and vomiting or preventing HG in women who have had it before.

A new study using an advanced “digital twin” artificial intelligence model has found that factors such as loneliness, insomnia and poor mental health substantially raise a person’s future risk of developing type 2 diabetes.