Maternal, Newborn, and Adolescent Health

Xin Wang and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Boston Medical Center in the U.S., along with collaborators from Weifang Medical University in China and Christian Medical College in India, will identify new treatments and associated diagnostic biomarkers for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in newborns, which is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. In Phase I they discovered that agonists of the melatonin receptor, alone or in combination with hypothermia, could prevent newborn hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in a mouse model.

Eva Wiberg-Itzel of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden proposes to develop an easy and informative test which measures the concentration of lactate in the amniotic fluid of laboring women to help obstetricians and midwifes predict labor outcomes. Measuring lactate levels can give care providers an early indication of whether interventions are needed to reduce maternal and infant mortality in developing countries.

Zhenan Bao of Stanford University in the U.S. will develop a low-cost sensing strip with a diagnostic reader to diagnose pre-eclampsia. The diagnosis is based upon the fact that there is an electrical current change when pre-eclampsia is present. If successful, this diagnostic tool could be used for the early detection and monitoring of this condition to avoid late-stage pregnancy complications.

Glenna Bett of SUNY University at Buffalo in the U.S. proposes to develop a device to treat postpartum hemorrhage suitable for use even when medical facilities are absent or minimal, and in non-sterile environments. If successful, this has the potential to reduce perinatal deaths worldwide.

Larry Rand and colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco in the U.S. will develop a vaginal diaphragm to detect changes in cervical collagen and wirelessly alert health providers before preterm labor begins. This device would identify a new pre-labor "window" during which intervention could reduce mortality and disability resulting from preterm birth among at-risk pregnant women.

Jules Puschett of the TAMUS Health Science Center Research Foundation in the U.S. will study initial evidence that elevated levels of the steroid hormone marinobufagenin (MBG) in urine is a very early indicator of preeclampsia in pregnant women. If true, this common and dangerous condition could be diagnosed early with a simple urine dipstick test, and potentially prevented or treated with a molecule called resibufogenin, which counteracts MBG.

Kristen DeStigter and Brian Garra of Imaging the World in the U.S. will test a newly developed ultrasound imaging and diagnosis system that can be used in rural areas without trained personnel or electricity to help detect critical maternal conditions that increase maternal and infant mortality.

Iain Buxton of the University of Nevada School of Medicine will test the theory that the uterine muscle is regulated by a unique potassium channel that allows it to remain relaxed while a growing fetus continues to exert increasing pressure. Studying the dysfunction of this channel could lead to a therapeutic target to treat preterm delivery.

Margo Klar of the University of Florida in the U.S. will develop a simple and re-usable ceramic device for cutting umbilical cords to reduce the risk of infection in newborns in developing countries. In limited resource settings, cords are often cut with knives or razor blades, which are unsafe and unclean. In Phase I they tested several ceramic-based prototypes on discarded umbilical cords and developed a design that was easy to clean and use, and enabled a simple hygienic cut while reducing potential bacterial exposure.

Xiaoyang Wang of University of Gothenburg in Sweden, along with Harvey Cantor of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the U.S., will test whether inhibition of a key molecule of inflammation can prevent brain injury in preterm newborns with asphyxia. If successful, this could be used to develop a vaccine-like approach to halt the process of neonatal brain injury.