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In a significant advancement for maternal healthcare, a multi-institutional team led by the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has developed a rapid, cost-effective biosensor test capable of detecting preeclampsia in pregnant women within just 30 minutes. This breakthrough promises to transform prenatal care, especially in remote and resource-limited settings where timely diagnosis can be challenging.
Addressing a Critical Need
Preeclampsia is a life-threatening pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and can lead to severe outcomes for both mother and child if not detected early. Traditional diagnostic methods are often slow, infrastructure-heavy, and require trained personnel, making them inaccessible to many women in rural or under-resourced areas.
Recognizing this gap, the IIT Madras-led team developed a Point-of-Care (PoC) biosensor platform using advanced fiber optics sensor technology. The new test is designed to be sensitive, specific, and speedy-the essential “3S” features for effective diagnosis.
How the Test Works
The biosensor employs Plasmonic Fiber Optic Absorbance Biosensor (P-FAB) technology to detect Placental Growth Factor (PlGF), a key biomarker for preeclampsia. In normal pregnancies, PlGF peaks between 28 to 32 weeks, but its levels drop significantly in women with preeclampsia. The newly developed polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) based U-bent polymeric optical fiber (POF) sensor probe can measure PlGF at femtomolar levels, delivering accurate results in half an hour.
The test requires only a minimal blood sample (as little as 30 microliters) and is both eco-friendly and user-friendly, utilizing recyclable materials and eliminating the need for harsh chemicals.
Potential Impact and Future Prospects
Early detection of preeclampsia allows healthcare providers to classify women into high- and low-risk groups as early as 11-13 weeks of gestation. Preventive treatments, such as low-dose aspirin, can then be administered to high-risk women, potentially reducing the incidence and severity of preeclampsia and improving maternal and neonatal outcomes.
The technology has successfully passed key validation stages and is moving towards broader field implementation and commercialization. Researchers also highlight the potential to adapt this biosensor platform for the detection of other diseases, including cancer, tuberculosis, and Alzheimer’s.
Collaboration and Publication
This innovation is the result of collaboration between IIT Madras, Vellore Institute of Technology, and Sri Sakthi Amma Institute of Biomedical Research, among others. The findings have been published in the journal Biosensors and Bioelectronics.
“The biosensor platform developed by the research team is simple and reliable, paving the way for affordable diagnosis. It can also lead to increasing the test coverage of Placental growth factor (PlGF) biomarker tests, thereby resulting in a potential for a significant impact on the management of pre-eclampsia and towards reduction in the global burden of mortality and morbidity from pre-eclampsia,” said Prof. V.V. Raghavendra Sai, IIT Madras.
Disclaimer:
The biosensor test for preeclampsia developed by IIT Madras and its partner institutions is currently advancing through validation and commercialization stages. While initial results are promising, the test may not yet be widely available in clinical practice. Pregnant women should continue to consult their healthcare providers for diagnosis and treatment of preeclampsia and not rely solely on new or experimental diagnostic technologies at this stage.
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