Global Research on Hypertension in Pregnancy: Key Highlights
Recent advances in hypertension in pregnancy research continue to improve our understanding of preeclampsia and identify promising new approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and global collaboration. Below are several notable developments from leading research institutions and international organizations.
Blood-Filtering Therapy Shows Promise for Very Preterm Preeclampsia
Nature Medicine
Researchers successfully tested a blood-filtering (apheresis) therapy designed to remove excess soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), a protein known to drive many symptoms of preeclampsia. Using a dialysis-like machine, the treatment filtered sFlt-1 from the mother’s bloodstream, lowering blood pressure and extending pregnancy by an average of ten additional days in women with very preterm preeclampsia.
The pilot study represents an encouraging step toward therapies that target the underlying biology of preeclampsia rather than managing symptoms alone.
Read the Nature Medicine study →
Researchers Identify VGLL3 as a Potential Therapeutic Target
Circulation
Researchers at the University of Michigan identified the gene VGLL3 as a key molecular driver of preeclampsia. The study found that VGLL3 is highly overexpressed in preeclamptic placentas and contributes to abnormal placental development, endothelial dysfunction, immune dysregulation, and increased production of sFlt-1.
Targeting the gene successfully reversed several features of preeclampsia in both human placental tissue and mouse models, highlighting a promising avenue for future therapeutic development.
Placenta-Targeted Nanoparticles Offer New Hope for Treating Preeclampsia
NIH Common Fund
Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania have engineered specialized lipid nanoparticles capable of delivering therapeutic VEGF mRNA directly to the placenta. In preclinical studies, the targeted therapy improved placental blood flow, reduced maternal hypertension, and improved fetal growth in mouse models of preeclampsia.
The technology represents a significant step toward precision therapies that selectively treat the placenta while minimizing effects on the mother and fetus.
Global Pre-eclampsia Summit Advances International Action
World Health Organization (WHO)
In May 2026, the World Health Organization convened researchers, clinicians, policymakers, advocates, product developers, and global health organizations in Kigali, Rwanda for the Global Pre-eclampsia Summit.
The summit focused on identifying clinical gaps, strengthening international collaboration, and developing an access-to-products roadmap aimed at improving the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of preeclampsia worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where the burden remains greatest.
ISSHP will continue highlighting significant research developments that advance our understanding of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and support improvements in maternal and fetal health worldwide.