When labor begins, the uterus must coordinate rhythmic, well-timed contractions to deliver the baby safely. While hormones such as progesterone and oxytocin are key contributors to that process, ...

A new study shows how one kind of bacteria, Vibrio cholerae, triggers painful intestinal contractions by activating the immune system. The research also finds a more general explanation for how the ...

Braxton Hicks contractions are uterine contractions that start in early pregnancy. Most don't notice them until sometime in the second or third trimester – and some women never notice them at all.

There's a big learning curve when it comes to pregnancy. For many expecting parents, just thinking about contractions can be nerve-wracking because they are associated with pain and the start of labor ...

PIEZO1 transcripts in human uterine muscle at term. Green indicates smooth muscle fibers in the uterus, red marks PIEZO1 mRNA, and blue shows cell nuclei. LA JOLLA, CA—When labor begins, the uterus ...

Immune cells (magenta) and cells expressing a reporter of immune stimulation (cyan), imaged in 3D in a live zebrafish larva. The cells are dynamic, and in our experiments we found that their ...