Endoplasmic reticulum stress: an emerging therapeutic target for preeclampsia†.

Preeclampsia (PE), a common obstetric complication during pregnancy, has a global prevalence of 5-8%, and it is one of the leading causes of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes, which has a lack of effective treatment other than termination of pregnancy. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) is a self-stress response of cells to alleviate misfolded and unfolded protein aggregation and calcium ion homeostasis disorders in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) lumen by activating the unfolded protein response. Many studies have demonstrated a potential link between ERS and PE pathogenesis by mediating genetic susceptibility, placental hypoxia, oxidative stress, metabolic disorders, impaired angiogenesis and function, and inflammatory responses. This article systematically describes the ERS mechanisms and their association with the pathological progression of PE. It also emphasizes that ERS can be a potential therapeutic target for PE clinical management.