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Human relaxin

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2009

Robin Bell ,
Geoffrey Tregear ,
Lawrence Eddie  and
David Healy
Robin Bell
Affiliation:
Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, The University of Melbourne
Geoffrey Tregear
Affiliation:
Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, The University of Melbourne
Lawrence Eddie
Affiliation:
Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, The University of Melbourne
David Healy*
Affiliation:
Monash University, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Melbourne, Australia
*
Professor David L Healy, Monash Medical Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Level 5, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton 3168, Victoria, Australia.
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Extract

The aim of this article is to review our knowledge of the status of human relaxin in reproductive medicine.

Relaxin has a particular interest for obstetricians and gynaecologists for its potential to ripen the uterine cervix in order to promote effective labour. Despite research activity over approximately sixty years in the relaxin field since the original observation of Hisaw, there is still a considerable gap in our understanding of the role of relaxin in reproductive medicine. As pointed out by Sherwood in a comprehensive review of the relaxin literature, the accumulation of knowledge concerning the hormone is in its infancy.

Type
Articles
Information
Reproductive Medicine Review , Volume 2 , Issue 2 , July 1993 , pp. 109 - 118
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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