Oxford Pregnancy Biobank


Pre-eclampsia can affect up to 10% of first time pregnancies in a mild form with more sever symptoms occurring in 1-2% of pregnancies (NHS Choices). The Oxford Pregnancy Biobank has been set up to discover new biomarkers for pre-eclampsia which will allow its early prediction and enable clinical care to be focussed on the highest risk groups. This requires the analysis of blood or urine samples taken both during and prior to the development of the disease.

Objectives: 

  • Discover new pre-eclampsia biomarkers, which are indicative for the conditions early prediction and enable clinical care to be focused on the highest risk groups.

  • Enable new diagnostic biomarkers to be tested rapidly.

Cohort Description: 

The Biobank has recruited 844 women capturing 2313 sampling occasions (Dec 10) with a recruitment rate of 1,000 women per year. Samples are collected from women in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters, at the onset and during pre-eclampsia. This protocol has succeeded to capturing 11 pre-eclampsia cases having been captured to date (Dec 10).

A research facility consisting of two purpose-built recruitment rooms and a phlebotomy room has been created, ideally located adjacent to the Ultrasound Department where all pregnant women attend at 10-12 weeks and 18-22 weeks.

Achievements:

  • First to show that:Soluble ST2 (decoy receptor for IL-33) is significantly increased in the circulation of women who develop pre-eclampsia prior to the onset of the disease.

  • First to show that placental microvesicles and nanovesicles (exosomes) are significantly elevated in the blood and urine of women with pre-eclampsia.

  • Successful evaluation of new pre-eclampsia point of care device for Alere against current laboratory test.

  • Development of Fluorescence Nanosight Tracking Analysis enabling phenotyping of nanovesicles by labelling with antibodies conjugated with quantum dots.

  • Patent application has been filed with ISIS Innovation.

Collaborations:

  • Oxford Pregnancy Biobank is part of the Oxford Safer Pregnancy Alliance (OSPREA). OSPREA facilites translational clinical research in Maternal, Fetal and Perinatal medicine and provides a vehicle for patient and public involvement. OSPREA coordinates current and future projects within current work:

  • Intergrowth 21st - an international study developing growth charts for babies from different races and cultures.

  • A Wellcome Trust funded programme grant investigating the causes of pre-eclampsia.

  • SPRINT- a trial of selenium supplements given to prevent pre-eclampsia also funded by the Wellcome Trust.

  • Spiral 3D – the use of sophisticated ultrasound techniques to measure the precise flow of blood to the early placenta at 3 months in a pregnancy.2 commercial collaborations seeking to exploit other biomarkers diagnostically.

Publications: For key publications click here.

Principle Investigators: Prof Chris Redman / Prof Ian Sargent.

Volunteering:

Want to know more about other volunteers’ experiences? Click here.

Contact:

Address: OSPREA, c/o Prof Ian Sargent / Prof Chris Redman, Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, OX3 9DU Tel: 01865 221004