Development of a bioassay to detect pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia, a hypertensive disorder, is a potentially life-threatening condition that develops in up to 8% of all pregnancies worldwide. Currently, the only option in severe cases is the early delivery of the baby. Symptoms usually subside for the mother within days of giving birth, but early delivery comes at the expense of the health, or even life, of the child.

Earlier intervention strategies would allow prolongment of the pregnancy, improving health outcomes for the mother and baby. Pre-eclampsia can be difficult to diagnose before the sudden onset of dangerous symptoms, such as high blood pressure. Compared to healthy pregnant women, women with pre-eclampsia have been shown to have a higher proportion of a particular form of the protein angiotensinogen that is involved in regulating blood pressure. Development of a bioassay that can differentiate between the different forms of this protein could allow for the early diagnosis of pre-eclampsia.

The proposed research aims to thoroughly characterise the two forms of angiotensinogen, towards identifying any biophysical differences between them that may show potential to be utilised in the development of a bioassay.