Detail

Keywords

Oxidative Stress; Placenta; Pregnancy Complications

Research group(s)

• Environmental Health and Medical Ecology
  Head: Claudia Gundacker
  Research Area: Early life exposome, reproduction toxicology and environmental health with specific emphasis on the metabolism and transport of metals (mercury, iron, lead, and cadmium) and perfluoroalkyl substances across the human placenta.
  Members:
  Claudia Gundacker
  Sebastian Granitzer

Research interests

My research is focused on the effects of dysregulated oxidative stress on the placenta and the associated adverse pregnancy outcomes, in particular preeclampsia. We isolate primary cells (trophoblasts, fetal endothelial cells, placental macrophages (Hofbauer cells), and placental fibroblasts) from healthy and diseased pregnancies to identify differences in their cellular functions (e.g. secretion of hormones, and growth factors, and gene expression patterns). In addition, we assess the ability of these cells to cope with oxidative stressors (especially heavy metals) to find potential targets for making them more resistant to oxidative stress.

Techniques, methods & infrastructure

Isolation of primary placental cells, cell culture, gene expression analysis, Immunoblotting, Heavy Metals Analysis (AAS, AFS), In vitro toxicology, oxidative stress assay

Selected publications

1. Granitzer, S. et al. (2025) ‘LAT1-NRF2 axis controls sFlt-1/PlGF imbalance and oxidative stress in preeclampsia’, Nature Communications, 16(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64160-0.
2. Granitzer, S. et al. (2023) ‘BDNF and KISS-1 Levels in Maternal Serum, Umbilical Cord, and Placenta: The Potential Role of Maternal Levels as Effect Biomarker’, Exposure and Health, 16(2), pp. 445–461. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-023-00565-w.
3. Widhalm, R. et al. (2025) ‘Perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA) increases oxidative stress through inhibition of mitochondrial β-oxidation’, Environmental Pollution, 367, p. 125595. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125595.
4. Granitzer, S. et al. (2020) ‘In vitro function and in situ localization of Multidrug Resistance-associated Protein (MRP)1 (ABCC1) suggest a protective role against methyl mercury-induced oxidative stress in the human placenta’, Archives of Toxicology, 94(11), pp. 3799–3817. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-020-02900-5.
5. Granitzer, S. et al. (2021) ‘Amino Acid Transporter LAT1 (SLC7A5) Mediates MeHg-Induced Oxidative Stress Defense in the Human Placental Cell Line HTR-8/SVneo’, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(4), p. 1707. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22041707.