Funding outcome

Iron deficiency, or not having enough iron in the body, is the most common nutritional disorder in the world, and pregnant women and young children are the most susceptible subgroups. Our body needs iron to function properly and to help us use the oxygen we breathe. During pregnancy, there is an increased demand for iron which often leads to iron deficiency. If this iron deficiency is left untreated, there are lasting negative effects on the child and the mother. Specifically, children who were iron deficient during pregnancy are at a greater risk of developing many complications later in life, such as heart and kidney diseases. Given that a relatively large number of pregnant women are iron deficient, iron deficiency is likely an important contributor to the global burden of heart and kidney diseases. Currently, simple iron supplementation is ineffective in treating the negative health impacts caused by iron deficiency, and may even pose other health risks for the mother or the child. Thus, there is a clear and urgent need for new therapies that can improve the harmful effects of iron deficiency for both the mother and the child. Dr. Bourque has already shown how iron deficiency during pregnancy has harmful effects on the baby's heart and kidneys, and we also know that inflammation plays a role in causing these negative effects. Interestingly, one important characteristic of iron-deficient infants is that they cannot properly produce an important type of molecule (called ketones) that are made by the liver and used as a source of energy. However, new and exciting evidence also shows that these ketones have anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, we have shown that ketones can improve the function of the heart in certain heart diseases. For these reasons, ketones may be used as a treatment to reduce inflammation and prevent the harmful effects of iron deficiency. Therefore, we will test if ketones are an effective treatment for the negative effects of iron deficiency on the heart, kidneys, and overall health of the child and the mother. To test this, we will use a rat model of iron deficiency that we have used previously, and then treat pregnant rats with a safe proprietary water formulation containing ketones that will increase ketones levels in their blood. We will then determine if the mothers who drank the ketone water formulation, and their offspring, are protected from the harmful effects of iron deficiency. We hope that this new treatment will one day serve to benefit the mothers and children who face the negative effects of iron deficiency.