Genetics of Glucose regulation in Gestation and Growth (Gen3G)
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- American Diabetes Association
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Project Summary
The Genetics of Glucose regulation in Gestation and Growth (Gen3G) prospective cohort aims to increase our understanding of biological, environmental, and genetic determinants of glucose regulation during pregnancy and of prenatal programming of health/disease in offspring.
Project Details
Between the years 2010 and 2013, we recruited over a thousand pregnant women during their first trimester. We followed up with them between 24 to 28 weeks of gestation, when they completed a 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), and we measured glucose and insulin levels at multiple time points during the OGTT to estimate insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion indices. We then followed women until delivery, at which point we collected data on the clinical outcomes of mothers and newborns, in addition to cord blood and placenta samples.
We used these precious samples to conduct multiple 'omics investigations (genetics, epigenetics, transcriptomics) to better understand pathophysiology of gestational diabetes, as well as the impact of maternal hyperglycemia on prenatal programming of offspring health.
We have now completed the follow-up on mother-child pairs at 3, 5, and 12 years post-delivery. During these follow-ups, we continue to gather information on metabolic health in both mothers and offspring, including anthropometry, body composition, blood biomarkers, and gut microbiome, as well as collect neuro-behavioral and mental health questionnaires.