Understanding the process of pregnancy to uncover novel biomarkers
Science
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Inflammation
Hormonal
Vascular
Cervical Remodeling
Stress
Panel of preterm biomarkers that reflects the biological pathways of pregnancy
By modeling the processes that occur during pregnancy, data mining and bioinformatics tools are used to discover a panel of novel biomarkers that can reliably predict the occurence of preterm birth in asymptomatic women
In-house developed multiplex immunoassay
Protein biomarkers are detected in cervicovaginal fluid samples with a high throughput multiplex immunoassay, providing a fast and accurate result within minutes to hours from sampling
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Approach
Data Mining and Multiple Pathway Analysis
Using biological data from the public domain and subjecting it to a multiple pathway analysis, we have identified a panel of biomarkers that are highly associated with preterm birth
Animal model and cell culture studies
The biological significance of these biomarkers were validated with mouse preterm models and in-vitro cell lines assays
Antibodies and Platform Development
In-house developed antibodies provide high affinity detection of protein biomarkers in cervicovaginal fluid. Incorporation of the antibodies into a multiplex immunoassay platform allows for accurate and sensitive prediction of preterm birth
Multi-center clinical studies
We are establishing the world's largest biobank of cervicovaginal fluid samples for preterm birth study. This is achieved with a multi-center prospective clinical study with hospitals in Australia, China and Hong Kong
Multi-Center Clinical Studies
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AUSTRALIA
Royal's Women Hospital & The Mercy Hospital for Women
CHINA
Henan Provincial People's Hospital
HONG KONG
Prince of Wales Hospital
World's largest bio-bank of cervicovaginal fluid for preterm birth study