The Morgan Lab studies the underlying pathology that causes the great obstetric syndromes of fetal growth restriction, preeclampsia, and spontaneous preterm labor.  We have developed a mouse model that mimics the most common pathophysiology observed in women at the uteroplacental interface, which we employ to study molecular mechanisms, develop maternal blood-based diagnostic testing, and treatments to prevent these common and serious complications.  Results are then translated into non-human primate and human studies.  Our current focus is investigating the content and function of cell- and size-specific extracellular vesicles (virus sized plasma-membrane bound nanoparticles released by cells into the circulation) to better understand cell signaling and diagnostic potential.  A long-term aim of our group is to better understand the role of sex-specific fetal programming in the progeny's risk for disease (eg, cancer) and whether there are transgenerational risks that may be ameliorated.

Personnel

Terry K. Morgan, M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Pathology and Obstetrics & Gynecology, OHSU
Principal Investigator

Mayu Morita: Senior Research Associate
Laboratory Technician

Nicole Marek: Masters of Public Health Student
Research Associate

Recent publications

Irreversible alteration of extracellular vesicle and cell-free messenger RNA profiles in human plasma associated with blood processing and storage
Kim, H. J., Rames, M. J., Tassi Yunga, S., Armstrong, R., Morita, M., Ngo, A. T. P., McCarty, O. J. T., Civitci, F., Morgan, T. K. & Ngo, T. T. M., Dec 2022, In: Scientific Reports. 12, 1, 2099.

Placental pathology is necessary to understand common pregnancy complications and achieve an improved taxonomy of obstetrical disease
Redline, R. W., Roberts, D. J., Parast, M. M., Ernst, L. M., Morgan, T. K., Greene, M. F., Gyamfi-Bannerman, C., Louis, J. M., Maltepe, E., Mestan, K. K., Romero, R. & Stone, J., Feb 2023, In: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology. 228, 2, p. 187-202 16 p.

Cessation of chronic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol use partially reverses impacts on male fertility and the sperm epigenome in rhesus macaques
Hedges, J. C., Hanna, C. B., Shorey-Kendrick, L. E., Boniface, E. R., Bash, J. C., Rice-Stitt, T. L., Burch, F. C., D'Mello, R., Morgan, T. K., Lima, A. C., Terrobias, J. J. D., Graham, J. A., Mishler, E. C., Jensen, J. V., Hagen, O. L., Urian, J. W., Spindel, E. R., Easley, C. A., Murphy, S. K. & Lo, J. O., Jul 2023, In: Fertility and sterility. 120, 1, p. 163-174 12 p.

Deletion of the mRNA stability factor ELAVL1 (HuR) in pancreatic cancer cells disrupts the tumor microenvironment integrity
McCarthy, G. A., Di Niro, R., Finan, J. M., Jain, A., Guo, Y., Wyatt, C. R., Guimaraes, A. R., Waugh, T. A., Keith, D., Morgan, T. K., Sears, R. C. & Brody, J. R., Jun 1 2023, In: NAR Cancer. 5, 2, zcad016.

Infection of the maternal-fetal interface and vertical transmission following low-dose inoculation of pregnant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) with an African-lineage Zika virus
Koenig, M. R., Mitzey, A. M., Morgan, T. K., Zeng, X., Simmons, H. A., Mejia, A., Jaimes, F. L., Keding, L. T., Crooks, C. M., Weiler, A. M., Bohm, E. K., Aliota, M. T., Friedrich, T. C., Mohr, E. L. & Golos, T. G., May 2023, In: PloS one. 18, 5 May, e0284964.