You might remember the health struggles of the iconic singer Mariah Carey during her pregnancy with twins in 2011. She faced serious complications and ultimately had to undergo a cesarean section. Carey was very open about her health challenges, particularly due to a condition called pre-eclampsia, which led to complications during her pregnancy.
Similarly, US media celebrity Kim Kardashian has also spoken out about her experiences with pre-eclampsia. During both of her pregnancies with North and Saint West, she developed the condition. In her first pregnancy, she also dealt with placenta accreta, a condition where the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall. These complications caused significant challenges, resulting in premature deliveries and medical interventions.
Pre-eclampsia is a severe pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of organ damage, often affecting the kidneys or liver. It typically develops after the 20th week of pregnancy and can lead to serious complications for both the mother and the baby if left untreated. Symptoms include high blood pressure (above 140/90 mmHg), protein in the urine, swelling in the hands, face, or feet, severe headaches, vision changes (such as seeing spots or flashing lights), upper abdominal pain, and sudden weight gain due to fluid retention.
If left unchecked, pre-eclampsia can progress to eclampsia, which involves seizures and can be life-threatening for both mother and child. Early detection and management are crucial, often through medication to lower blood pressure or early delivery when necessary.
The detection and monitoring of pre-eclampsia involve several tests and assessments, including blood pressure monitoring, proteinuria testing, blood tests, and biomarker tests (some of which are still emerging). However, early detection remains challenging, and researchers around the world are working to improve these methods. Given the widespread impact of pre-eclampsia on pregnant women and newborns globally, there is a pressing need for rapid, affordable, on-site screening to ensure timely treatment and reduce both maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality.
Currently, the usual methods to detect pre-eclampsia are time-consuming and require extensive infrastructure and trained personnel. This makes them inaccessible in remote and resource-limited settings, such as in low-income countries like India, where pre-eclampsia is a significant public health concern contributing to maternal morbidity and mortality.
A Biosensor from IIT Madras
A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has developed a new biosensor platform to test pregnant women for pre-eclampsia. This research team, comprising scientists from multiple institutes, has pioneered a Point-of-Care (PoC) testing method using fiber optic sensor technology, which could serve as an alternative to current testing methods.
There is a strong demand for a testing device that is easily accessible, quick, and highly sensitive—one with the "3S" features (Sensitivity, Specificity, and Speed) for the diagnosis of pre-eclampsia.
In a paper published on PubMed, the IIT researchers described a plasmonic fiber optic absorbance biosensor (P-FAB) strategy for detecting Placental Growth Factor (PlGF) at femtomolar concentrations. They used polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-based U-bent polymeric optical fiber (POF) sensor probes. The POF sensor probes are able to measure PlGF within 30 minutes, with clinical sample testing confirming the accuracy, reliability, specificity, and sensitivity of the platform. This innovation holds the potential to offer a cost-effective solution for PlGF detection, with applications for diagnosing pre-eclampsia.
Prof. V.V. Raghavendra Sai, one of the lead scientists, explained in a recent statement that the biosensor platform is simple, reliable, and affordable, paving the way for more widespread use of PlGF biomarker tests. He also highlighted that the platform could have a significant impact on the management of pre-eclampsia, potentially reducing the global burden of morbidity and mortality from the condition.
The researchers confirms that the technology has passed through all the necessary validation stages, from analytical to bioanalytical to clinical evaluation, progressing through the required Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). They note that further large-scale patient sample analysis in diverse clinical settings, along with robust prototyping, will smoothen the pathway to technology transfer and commercialisation in the near- and mid-term future.
The team comprises Prof. V.V. Raghavendra Sai, Dr. Ratan Kumar Chaudhary (Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering, IIT Madras), Dr. Narayanan Madaboosi (Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras), Dr. Jitendra Satija (Centre for Nanobiotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology), Dr. Balaji Nandagopal, and Dr. Ramprasad Srinivasan (Sri Sakthi Amma Institute of Biomedical Research, Sri Narayani Hospital & Research Centre, Vellore).
According to the researchers, the P-FAB-based POF platform offers transformative technology not only for detecting pre-eclampsia but also for detecting other communicable and non-communicable diseases. Importantly, the technology is simple, cost-effective, rapid, and requires only a small sample volume (30 µL or a droplet). Furthermore, it eliminates the need for harsh chemicals and utilizes recyclable POF, making it both environmentally and user-friendly. This makes the technology suitable for use in remote and resource-limited settings.
In India, approximately 8–10% of pregnancies are affected by pre-eclampsia. A 2022 study found that among 28,226 pregnant women, 13.8% had non-severe pre-eclampsia, and 3.19% had severe pre-eclampsia, excluding cases lost to follow-up.
