Blood test using placental extracellular vesicles to monitor how pregnancy medicines work
Developing Extracellular Vesicle Based MPRINT Translational Resource Platform for Monitoring Therapeutics Response During Pregnancy
This project is creating a blood-based platform that uses tiny placental particles to track how medicines like low-dose aspirin affect pregnancies at risk for preeclampsia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166630 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a pregnant person's perspective, the team is building a blood-based platform that isolates tiny placental extracellular vesicles (EVs) from maternal plasma to learn what the placenta is doing. They will analyze proteins and other cargo inside these EVs from previously collected samples and new participants, including people taking low-dose aspirin (81 mg or 162 mg). The project will look for patterns that change with different aspirin doses and link those patterns to pregnancy outcomes such as preeclampsia. The aim is to create a practical tool clinicians could use to monitor placental response to treatments and guide safer, more personalized care.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are pregnant people in their second or third trimester who are at risk for preeclampsia and willing to provide blood samples, including those taking or considering low-dose aspirin.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, are at low risk for preeclampsia, or cannot provide blood samples are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could give pregnant people a blood test that shows how their placenta is responding to medicines, helping tailor treatments and improve safety.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier work from this team found fourteen EV proteins that correlated with aspirin use, so this approach is promising but still needs larger studies to confirm the findings.
Where this research is happening
Columbus, UNITED STATES
- Ohio State University — Columbus, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Costantine, Maged — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Costantine, Maged
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.