Professor Stephen O’Rahilly from the University of Cambridge discussed the collaborative work which discovered that GDF15 plays a major role in the pathophysiology of Hyperemesis Gravidarum. GDF15, a hormone of the TGF beta family, is made by the fetal component of the placenta and its circulating levels are higher in women with HG than in matched controls. Women’s sensitivity to the nauseating effects of this hormone vary in a way that is influenced by prior exposure to the hormone. Women with lower levels of GDF15 before pregnancy are more susceptible to developing HG. O’Rahilly’s lab had previously shown that metformin, a commonly used and largely safe drug elevates circulating levels of GDF15. In future trials, designed in partnership with sufferers, women with a history of HG will receive metformin or placebo prior to a planned pregnancy in order to determine whether the drug can reduce the incidence and/or severity of HG.

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"GDF15 and the Pathogenesis of Pregnancy Sickness" presented by Sir Stephen O'Rahilly, MD at the International Colloquium of Hyperemesis Gravidarum (ICHG) 2024 conference in Ventura, California.