Kristie McNealy, MD

Researchers at the University of Leeds in the UK have identified a group of chemicals in blood samples from pregnant woman that can be used as an early indicator of the development of preeclampsia.  The group took plasma samples from pregnant women and analyzed them using nuclear magnetic resonance.  Their analysis revealed that the levels of specific chemicals were increased, while others were decreased in women who developed preeclampsia.

This discovery has led to the formation of a spin-off company, MetaBio Ltd, which is working to develop a user-friendly diagnostic kit which could be used to quickly and safely test all pregnant women.  They hope to have the test available in the market place within 5 years, and they predict large health care savings by being able to target women who are developing preeclampsia before they would normally be able to be diagnosed.  In addition, the identification of these abnormal levels of amino acids and other chemicals has opened another avenue of research into a cure for this dangerous disease, which impacts about 10% of all pregnancies, and is the cause of about 15% of premature births.

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