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Transgenerational congenital heart defects

Sweet and sour story of maternal diabetes and birth defects

Nature Cardiovascular Research volume 2, pages 1107–1108 (2023)Cite this article

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Pregestational diabetes is linked to an increased risk of congenital disorders, including cardiac and craniofacial defects, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Using a hyperglycemic mouse model, Nishino et al. show that ectopic retinoic acid signaling in the anterior heart field causes aberrant tissue patterning and associated pathologies1.

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Fig. 1: Hyperglycemia leads to a shift in the anterior–posterior retinoic acid signaling gradient, causing patterning defects and pathological outcomes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrative Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Jeffrey D. Steimle & James F. Martin

  2. Cardiomyocyte Renewal Laboratory, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, TX, USA

    James F. Martin

  3. Center for Organ Repair and Renewal, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    James F. Martin

Authors
  1. Jeffrey D. Steimle
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  2. James F. Martin
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Correspondence to James F. Martin.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Steimle, J.D., Martin, J.F. Sweet and sour story of maternal diabetes and birth defects. Nat Cardiovasc Res 2, 1107–1108 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44161-023-00380-1

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