Obstetrics & Gynecology

News and Events

Programs and providers of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine are often the focus of news stories and features appearing in major national media. We invite you to review some stories that typify the breakthrough accomplishments of our remarkable team and highlight the impact our care has had on patient’s lives.

Faulty DNA Repair May Lead to BRCA-Linked Cancers

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Error-prone DNA replication and repair may lead to mutations and cancer in individuals who inherit a mutant copy of the BRCA1 gene, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The discovery has potential implications for preventing the development of cancer in patients with these mutations.

The study, published Sept. 12 in Molecular Cell, provides new insights into why individuals who inherit a mutation in one copy of the BRCA1 gene often develop mutations in their remaining normal copy of the BRCA1 gene, setting the stage for tumors to develop. When these individuals’ cells are under stress, replication of the normal BRCA1 gene stalls because of the highly repetitive DNA sequences in the gene that create physical barriers to machinery that copies DNA. To fix the stall, an error-prone DNA repair mechanism kicks in.

"We have identified some of the first steps in cancer development in people carrying inherited BRCA1 mutations," said the study's senior author Dr. Jeannine Gerhardt, assistant professor of stem cell biology in obstetrics and gynecology and assistant professor of stem cell biology in reproductive medicine at the Ronald O. Perelman and Claudia Cohen Center for Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Research Reveals How a Common Bacterium May Spread from the Intestine

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A typical gut bacterium that can spread through the body and cause a serious infection resists natural immune defenses and antibiotics by enhancing its protective outer layer, known as the cell envelope, according to a new study by Weill Cornell Medicine investigators. The finding suggests possible new ways to target these bacterial infections.

The research, published Nov. 10 in mBio, illuminates some of the underlying changes that may occur when Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis) populations move through the epithelial cells lining the intestine and escape to reach other body sites.

“Systemic infections with E. faecalis can be lethal because this microbe has a remarkable ability to adapt to various environments and resist treatments,” said principal investigator Dr. Diana K. Morales, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology in obstetrics and gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine. People at risk of developing these infections include those who are taking antibiotics or who have compromised immune systems, which facilitate E. faecalis overgrowth in the intestine. Understanding how E. faecalis moves out of the gut and spreads may one day help scientists find small molecules to stop the bacterium’s extra-intestinal dissemination, preventing dangerous infections.

Lack of Cell Clean-Up Process Associated with Development of Post-Partum Depression

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A cellular process known as autophagy that helps rid cells of debris may be impaired in pregnant women who go on to develop post-partum depression (PPD), according to new research from Weill Cornell Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and UVA Health investigators.

“Our research indicates that autophagy may be dampened in pregnant women who go on to develop PPD, so their cells are collecting an increasing amount of junk or unhealthy byproducts from metabolic processes in the body,” said the paper’s first author Dr. Lauren M. Osborne, vice chair for clinical research for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Osborne conducted the research while on Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine’s faculty.

In the paper, published Sept. 22 in Molecular Psychiatry, researchers noted that understanding the underlying mechanisms of PPD could help doctors better manage the disorder.

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