Vascular Immunology

Our Group investigates the causes of preeclampsia through studying placentas and placental cells in the laboratory. We have been able to identify factors coming from the placenta that lead to damage in the mothers’ blood vessels and how this interaction can affect high cholesterol and other substances known to increase the risk of blood vessel and heart disease. We seek to develop new drug treatments for preeclampsia.

Our research goals are to better understand the causes of preeclampsia. By measuring the functions of the placenta and predicting preeclampsia, we seek to provide new, safe treatment which would allow the pregnancy to progress to full term, thus reducing the burden of premature delivery and also, long term, the risk to women’s heart health. Our work is directly translatable to women in pregnancy, resulting in an immediate impact through translational research efforts. Our Group has a strong international and national reputation for the quality and effect of our research plans. If preeclampsia could be prevented, then one of the strongest risk factors for women’s heart disease could also be prevented or reduced. This is an important long-term goal for women’s heart health.

Turanov AA, et al. RNAi modulation of placental sFLT1 for the treatment of preeclampsia. Nat Biotechnol. 2018.

Makris A, et al. Primate uteroplacental ischemia results in proteinuric hypertension and elevated placental and circulating sFLT-1. Circulation Research. 2006.

Makris A, et al. Placental growth factor reduces blood pressure in a uteroplacental ischemia model of preeclampsia in non-human primates. Hypertension. 2016.

Xu B, et al. Antihypertensive drugs methyldopa, labetalol, hydralazine, and clonidine improve trophoblast interaction with endothelial cellular networks in vitro. J Hypertens. 2014;32(5):1075-83; discussion 83.

Hennessy A, et al. A deficiency of placental IL-10 in preeclampsia. J Immunol. 1999;163(6):3491-5.

Liu, C.C., et al., b3-adrenergic agonist counters oxidative stress and Na1 -K1 pump inhibitory S-glutathionylation of placental cells: implications for preeclampsia. American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology, 2025. 328(1): p. C27-C39.

Rajkumar, Theepika; Hu, Sharon; Makris, Angela; Hennessy, Annemarie. Clinician and patient perceptions around implementing remote blood pressure monitoring for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy – a survey-based study. Digital Health. November 2024.

Memory M. Ngwira, Luis A. Gadama, Renuka Shanmugalingam, Angela Makris, Annemarie Hennessy A. Patients and health care workers perceived challenges in managing preeclampsia, in Malawi. Preg Hypertens. 2024 Mar:35:61-65.

Hennessy A, Heffernan S, Pears S, Roshan N, Romano AB, Karumanchi A, Waugh R, Iliopoulos J, Makris A. Birthweight in a non-human primate model of placental ischaemia. Preg Hypertension. Accepted Sept 2024.

• The abnormalities that are present in the placenta which is the central cause of preeclampsia. In a collaboration with ChiaChi Liu at the Kolling Institute the group has identified for the first time abnormalities of the way that the placental handles adrenalin may be linked to the changes in the mother.
• Examining the way that women use remote blood pressure monitoring to test for emerging high blood pressure, and this is in collaboration with the new Renal and Obstetric Physician at Campbelltown Hosptial, Dr Theepika Rajkumar. This work will form the basis of a PhD with Western Sydney University.
• The clinical testing of prevention strategies and developing new treatments for preeclampsia. This has led to the recently complete CASPER study in Malawi : Calcium and Aspirin for the prevention of preeclampsia. This trial is now being analysed for publication and has been presented as part of Memory Ngwira's PhD Thesis.