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
The Surprising Origin of a Deadly Hospital Infection
C. diff might not originate from external transmission but rather from within the infected patient themselves. Hospital staff dedicate significant effort to safeguard patients from infections during their hospital stay. Through practices ranging from [...]
Google AI breakthrough – huge step in finding genes that cause diseases
Google says it has made a significant step in identifying disease-causing genes, which could help spot rare genetic disorders. A new model named AlphaMissense is able to confidently classify 89 per cent of all [...]
New Study: Everyday Pleasures Can Boost Cognitive Performance
MINDWATCH study reveals cognitive peaks with everyday pleasures. Listening to music and drinking coffee are the sorts of everyday pleasures that can impact a person’s brain activity in ways that improve cognitive performance, including [...]
Moderna reveals new highly targeted COVID-19 vaccine mRNA-1283
Moderna has developed a new and improved version of its COVID-19 vaccine. The unique formulation (mRNA-1283) reduces the vaccine's content from the full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to a narrowly focused encoding of just two [...]
New nanotech weapon takes aim at hard-to-treat breast cancer
Breast cancer in its various forms affects more than 250,000 Americans a year. One particularly aggressive and hard-to-treat type is triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), which lacks specific receptors targeted by existing treatments. The rapid [...]
Scientists upcycle plastics into liquids that can store hydrogen energy
Scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have created a process that can upcycle most plastics into chemical ingredients useful for energy storage, using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and a commercially available catalyst, all [...]
Yale Scientists Uncover How the Immune System Can Alter Our Behavior
The mere scent of seafood can severely sicken those allergic to it — and therefore they are more likely to avoid it. Similarly, individuals who experience food poisoning from a specific dish tend to [...]
Whirlwind Tech – The Future of Energy-Efficient Spintronics Computing
Researchers in Germany and Japan have been able to increase the diffusion of magnetic whirls, so-called skyrmions, by a factor of ten. In today’s world, our lives are unimaginable without computers. Up until now, [...]
Omicron’s Silver Lining: Significantly Lower Risk of Long COVID
Omicron infections have a lower risk of long COVID than earlier variants, according to a study analyzing data from 11,000 participants. The risk of developing long COVID is significantly lower following an infection with [...]
The Hidden Mechanism Connecting Diabetes and Cancer
Researchers have discovered that insulin resistance, typically linked with type 2 diabetes, is also present in cancer patients and can accelerate the spread of the disease. In the 1920s, scientists found that the urine [...]
Scientists Unveil Urea’s Secret Role in the Origin of Life
Scientists from ETH Zurich and the University of Geneva have developed a new technique that allows them to observe chemical reactions taking place in liquids at extremely high temporal resolution. This innovation enables them to track how molecules [...]
Viagra Lowers Alzheimer’s Risk by Almost 70%, Early Study Finds
Research published recently suggests that Pfizer’s erectile dysfunction drug Viagra can decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by up to 69 percent. The research, which was published in Nature, found that the medication has [...]
Future of Medical Imaging: Advanced AI Can Tell Your True Age by Looking at Your Chest
An AI-powered model utilizes chest X-rays to help develop biomarkers for aging. What if determining “your age” was based on your chest rather than your face? Scientists from Osaka Metropolitan University have crafted an [...]
Ultra-sensitive biosensors detect cancer in a blood test
Cancer biomarkers circulating in body fluids can be used for diagnosis and treatment monitoring. However, current detection technology lacks the required sensitivity, limiting biomarker use in clinical applications. Colorectal cancer is the second most [...]
Viruses cause 200+ diseases. This one drug may be able to treat them all.
By taking aim at a process common across many viruses, the drug could one day stop any number of known viruses — and new ones. t’s about as audacious an idea as you can [...]
Scientists Identify Potential Treatment for Rare and Devastating Lung Disease
The findings could lead to a cure for LAM. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati may have identified a potential treatment for lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare lung condition resembling cancer found predominantly in women of reproductive [...]