From Stigma to Science: A Scientist's Journey to Treat Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Listen now
Description
While almost all women experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy, few are debilitated by severe symptoms: a condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). HG has been stigmatized and neglected by the biomedical community, with limited research funding for developing effective treatments. In this episode of Beyond the Abstract, Derek and Dan tell the remarkable story of one scientist who experienced HG herself, and her decades-long journey to find a cure.  Articles discussed Her Doctor Said Her Illness Was All in Her Head. This Scientist Was Determined to Find the Truth. Alice Callahan. New York Times, 2023. (https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/14/well/marlena-fejzo-hyperemesis-gravidarum.html) GDF15 linked to maternal risk of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Fejzo et al. 2023. Nature. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06921-9). Placenta and appetite genes GDF15 and IGFBP7 are associated with hyperemesis gravidarum. Fejzo et al. 2018. Nature Communications. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-03258-0) The information presented here is not medical advice. Consult your physician for any questions regarding your personal health.
More Episodes
Thousands of patients in the US die every year waiting for an organ transplant, often because there are not enough human organ donors. Xenotransplantation — transplantation from another species to humans — could solve this problem, but has remained the realm of science fiction given many...
Published 04/08/24
Published 04/08/24
A new class of medicines has transformed the treatment of obesity -- Wegovy and Ozempic have become household names. While we discussed these GLP-1 medicines on an episode of Beyond the Abstract less than a year ago, the field has progressed so quickly we thought it was already time to review...
Published 12/22/23