A new rapid test for the early diagnosis of preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening complication of pregnancy, has been developed by a team of researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). The test is significantly faster and more accurate than current methods.
Currently, the diagnosis of preeclampsia involves measuring blood pressure and testing for protein in the urine, along with other clinical signs and symptoms. Adding to the complexity is the fact that preeclampsia is a multifactorial disease with varying symptoms and features, so the diagnosis can be missed or delayed, particularly for those living in rural and remote areas.
The new strip-based lateral flow assay uses innovative nanoparticle-based technology to detect the concentration of specific biomarkers present in the blood plasma of women with preeclampsia. The novel protein biomarkers, called FKBPL and CD44, were discovered by Associate Professor Lana McClements.
The development of the nanophotonic platform used in the rapid test was led by Distinguished Professor Dayong Jin, director of the UTS Institute for Biomedical Materials and Devices.
Associate Professor McClements said the new test can produce results within 15 minutes and is highly sensitive and specific. “We believe this test has the potential to revolutionize the way preeclampsia is diagnosed and managed,” she said.
The research team conducted a study using clinical samples in collaboration with the Mercy Hospital for Women in Melbourne to validate the effectiveness of the test. They found that the test showed significantly improved sensitivity (90.5% vs. 73.7%) and specificity (100% vs. 92.3%) compared to the most up-to-date method currently available.
The study, “Quantitative Point of Care Tests for Timely Diagnosis of Early-onset Preeclampsia with High Sensitivity and Specificity,” has just been published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition. First authors, UTS Ph.D. candidate Sahar Ghorbanpour and Dr. Shihui Wen, performed the experiments and developed the prototype.
The new test can be performed at the point-of-care, such as a pre-natal clinic or doctor’s office. “This essentially gives clinicians the ability to make immediate and life-saving informed decisions, and not wait 24 hours for the results to come back,” Associate Professor McClements said.
At present, the only known cure for preeclampsia is delivery of the baby, however premature delivery can lead to complications and hospitalization.
“In addition to the new test, the novel biomarkers also show potential as drug and cell therapy targets of emerging treatments for preeclampsia. This offers hope not only for earlier diagnosis, but also for a future cure to this terrible disorder,” Associate Professor McClements said.
The research team is now working to commercialize the test in collaboration with industry partners and hopes to eventually make it widely available to healthcare providers around the world.
“This is a major advance over current methods of diagnosis, which can be unreliable and time-consuming,” said Associate Professor McClements. “Our test has the potential to make a real difference for both mothers and babies.”
News
How a Palm-Sized Laser Could Change Medicine and Manufacturing
Researchers have developed an innovative and versatile system designed for a new generation of short-pulse lasers. Lasers that produce extremely short bursts of light are known for their remarkable precision, making them indispensable tools [...]
New nanoparticles stimulate the immune system to attack ovarian tumors
Cancer immunotherapy, which uses drugs that stimulate the body’s immune cells to attack tumors, is a promising approach to treating many types of cancer. However, it doesn’t work well for some tumors, including ovarian [...]
New Drug Kills Cancer 20,000x More Effectively With No Detectable Side Effects
By restructuring a common chemotherapy drug, scientists increased its potency by 20,000 times. In a significant step forward for cancer therapy, researchers at Northwestern University have redesigned the molecular structure of a well-known chemotherapy drug, greatly [...]
Lipid nanoparticles discovered that can deliver mRNA directly into heart muscle cells
Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of death worldwide. But advances in heart-failure therapeutics have stalled, largely due to the difficulty of delivering treatments at the cellular level. Now, a UC Berkeley-led [...]
The basic mechanisms of visual attention emerged over 500 million years ago, study suggests
The brain does not need its sophisticated cortex to interpret the visual world. A new study published in PLOS Biology demonstrates that a much older structure, the superior colliculus, contains the necessary circuitry to perform the [...]
AI Is Overheating. This New Technology Could Be the Fix
Engineers have developed a passive evaporative cooling membrane that dramatically improves heat removal for electronics and data centers Engineers at the University of California San Diego have created an innovative cooling system designed to greatly enhance [...]
New nanomedicine wipes out leukemia in animal study
In a promising advance for cancer treatment, Northwestern University scientists have re-engineered the molecular structure of a common chemotherapy drug, making it dramatically more soluble and effective and less toxic. In the new study, [...]
Mystery Solved: Scientists Find Cause for Unexplained, Deadly Diseases
A study reveals that a protein called RPA is essential for maintaining chromosome stability by stimulating telomerase. New findings from the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggest that problems with a key protein that helps preserve chromosome stability [...]
Nanotech Blocks Infection and Speed Up Chronic Wound Recovery
A new nanotech-based formulation using quercetin and omega-3 fatty acids shows promise in halting bacterial biofilms and boosting skin cell repair. Scientists have developed a nanotechnology-based treatment to fight bacterial biofilms in wound infections. The [...]
Researchers propose five key questions for effective adoption of AI in clinical practice
While Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a powerful tool that physicians can use to help diagnose their patients and has great potential to improve accuracy, efficiency and patient safety, it has its drawbacks. It [...]
Advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment
A comprehensive review in "Biofunct. Mater." meticulously details the most recent advancements and clinical translation of intelligent nanodrugs for breast cancer treatment. This paper presents an exhaustive overview of subtype-specific nanostrategies, the clinical benefits [...]
It’s Not “All in Your Head”: Scientists Develop Revolutionary Blood Test for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
A 96% accurate blood test for ME/CFS could transform diagnosis and pave the way for future long COVID detection. Researchers from the University of East Anglia and Oxford Biodynamics have created a highly accurate [...]
How Far Can the Body Go? Scientists Find the Ultimate Limit of Human Endurance
Even the most elite endurance athletes can’t outrun biology. A new study finds that humans hit a metabolic ceiling at about 2.5 times their resting energy burn. When ultra-runners take on races that last [...]
World’s Rivers “Overdosing” on Human Antibiotics, Study Finds
Researchers estimate that approximately 8,500 tons of antibiotics enter river systems each year after passing through the human body and wastewater treatment processes. Rivers spanning millions of kilometers across the globe are contaminated with [...]
Yale Scientists Solve a Century-Old Brain Wave Mystery
Yale scientists traced gamma brain waves to thalamus-cortex interactions. The discovery could reveal how brain rhythms shape perception and disease. For more than a century, scientists have observed rhythmic waves of synchronized neuronal activity [...]
Can introducing peanuts early prevent allergies? Real-world data confirms it helps
New evidence from a large U.S. primary care network shows that early peanut introduction, endorsed in 2015 and 2017 guidelines, was followed by a marked decline in clinician-diagnosed peanut and overall food allergies among [...]
