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IMAGE: Constantine Simintiras and his colleagues in Thomas Spencer s lab have found a non-invasive way to study fluid produced in the uterus during pregnancy. view more
Credit: University of Missouri.
The quest to create safer, more successful pregnancies is one of the top goals of modern science. While pregnancy is better understood today than ever before, with improvements in technology helping to lower the risk of negative outcomes, there is much researchers still don t know about a vital part of the pregnancy process: uterine fluid.
Secreted by glands in the uterus during pregnancy, uterine fluid is believed to play an important role in supporting a developing embryo by sending information from the uterus to the embryo, along with a host of other speculated functions. But studying this fluid in women presents myriad dilemmas, given that studies might require invasive monitoring or experimentation during an active pregnancy.