IIT-Madras unveils rapid biosensor for early detection of pre-eclampsia

CHENNAI: In a significant breakthrough, a multi-institutional team led by the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-M) has developed a cutting-edge biosensor platform to facilitate rapid, point-of-care (PoC) testing for pre-eclampsia — a severe and potentially fatal pregnancy complication.

According to IIT-M, the innovative solution, leveraging fiber optics-based sensor technology, aims to overcome the limitations of conventional diagnostic methods that require extensive infrastructure and trained personnel, thereby making pre-eclampsia detection more accessible, especially in remote and resource-limited settings.

Pre-eclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication that causes persistent high blood pressure, and usually occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Early in a pregnancy, new blood vessels develop and evolve to supply oxygen and nutrients to the placenta. In women with pre-eclampsia, these blood vessels don’t develop or work properly. Problems with how well blood circulates in the placenta may lead to fluctuations in the mother’s BP.

“Pre-eclampsia is a critical condition that demands early and accurate diagnosis to mitigate maternal and neonatal mortality risks. Traditional detection methods are time-intensive and often inaccessible outside metropolitan healthcare centres. Our platform offers a fast, sensitive, and reliable alternative,” said a statement issued by IIT-Madras.

Prof VV Raghavendra Sai, head of the Biosensors Laboratory, IIT-M, explained that the team had developed a Plasmonic Fiber Optic Absorbance Biosensor (P-FAB) that used u-bent polymeric optical fiber (POF) probes made from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

“This P-FAB platform can detect the biomarker Placental Growth Factor (PLGF) — vital for diagnosing pre-eclampsia — at femtomolar concentrations within 30 minutes. PLGF levels naturally peak during 28-32 weeks of a normal pregnancy but decline drastically in cases of pre-eclampsia. The newly developed POF sensor captures this deviation, providing a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tool,” he explained. “Clinical validation demonstrated the platform’s robustness, accuracy, and potential for large-scale deployment. This technology offers an affordable and reliable solution, significantly increasing access to vital diagnostic testing.”

Commenting on future prospects, Narayanan Madaboosi, DBT Ramalingaswami Re-Entry Fellow of IIT-M, noted that the platform has completed multiple validation stages and was progressing towards large-scale clinical trials. “Efforts are underway to prototype and commercialise the device in the near-to-mid future,” he added.

Commenting on the probable uses of the technology, Ratan Kumar Chaudhary, the first author of the research paper, who recently graduated from the Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering, IIT-M, said, “The platform also has the potential applications for detecting other communicable and non-communicable diseases. It eliminates the use of harsh chemicals and uses recyclable POF. So, it's a simple, cost-effective, rapid, dip-type that requires a minimum sample volume, and is both environmentally and user-friendly.”

Concurring with him was Jitendra Satija, Centre for Nanobiotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology, who pointed out that the P-FAB technology can not only detect pre-eclampsia but also other diseases such as cancer, tuberculosis, Alzheimer’s, etc. “This technology has immense potential for scale-up as it provides results within 30 minutes with minimal use of reagents. We devoted the last 15 years to this P-FAB research, and are glad to see its superior sensitivity in terms of detection limit. Although P-FAB technology is still emerging, it will be as beneficial as glucose sensors in the near future.”

Ramprasad Srinivasan, Sri Sakthi Amma Institute of Biomedical Research, Sri Narayani Hospital & Research Centre, Vellore, said, “The advantage of this test is that it can detect PLGF at 11-13 weeks of gestation and classify subjects into high-risk and low-risk groups. Low-dose aspirin, if given early to the high-risk women, could decrease the incidence of pre-eclampsia. Hence, this test, let alone being diagnostic, also aids in the treatment and thereby improving maternal and neonatal outcomes.”

TECH KNOW-HOW

· An ultrasensitive plasmonic fiber optic absorbance biosensor (P-FAB) platform detects the biomarker that causes pre-eclampsia in pregnant women.

· Usually, a tech of this kind uses glass optical fibers (GOF), which are expensive, fragile, and involve laborious and precise fabrication steps

· To make it affordable, and thereby accessible to areas that have limited resources, polymeric optical fibers (POF) were used, as they are easy to handle, robust, cost-effective, and flexible

· The POF sensor probe-based P-FAB strategy was found to be highly promising for on-site pre-eclampsia diagnosis that is cost-effective and easy-to-use

· Potential to contribute towards the reduction of the global burden of mortality and morbidity from pre-eclampsia

THE A-TEAM

· Prof VV Raghavendra Sai and Ratan Kumar Chaudhary, Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering, IIT Madras

· Narayanan Madaboosi, Department of Biotechnology, IIT Madras

· Jitendra Satija, Centre for Nanobiotechnology, Vellore Institute of Technology

· Balaji Nandagopal and Ramprasad Srinivasan, Sri Sakthi Amma Institute of Biomedical Research, Sri Narayani Hospital & Research Centre, Vellore

WHAT IS PRE-ECLAMPSIA?

Pre-eclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication that causes persistent high blood pressure, and usually occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy. In addition to high BP, there could also be high levels of protein in urine that indicate kidney damage (proteinuria), or other signs of organ damage. There could be no noticeable symptoms. So, the first signs of pre-eclampsia are often detected during routine prenatal visits with a health care provider. Left untreated, preeclampsia can lead to serious — even fatal — complications for both the mother and baby. Pre-eclampsia may develop after delivery of a baby, a condition known as post-partum pre-eclampsia.