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Blood-based indicators for pregnancy disorders: Advanced biophysical approaches
Rumiana Koynova-Tenchovа1, Sashka Krumova1, Anika Alexandrova-Watanabe2
1Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology
|July 24, 2026
Summary
Advanced biophysical techniques like DSC, AFM, and microfluidics offer new ways to detect pregnancy disorders early. These blood tests provide more detailed insights than traditional methods for better maternal and neonatal health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Biochemistry
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Pregnancy disorders like preeclampsia pose significant risks to maternal and neonatal health.
- Current diagnostic methods often lack the sensitivity and specificity for early detection.
- Blood-based biomarkers are promising for non-invasive prenatal surveillance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advanced biophysical analytical techniques for characterizing blood-based indicators in pregnancy disorders.
- To explore the potential of DSC, AFM, and microfluidics in improving prenatal screening.
- To discuss the integration of these technologies into point-of-care diagnostics.
Main Methods:
- Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) for plasma proteome thermodynamic profiling.
- Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) for nanoscale interrogation of blood components.
- Microfluidic analysis for high-throughput assessment of blood rheology and cellular properties.
Main Results:
- DSC reveals disorder-specific denaturation signatures in plasma proteomes.
- AFM identifies morphological and viscoelastic changes in blood cells and proteins.
- Microfluidics enables analysis of rheology and biomarker concentrations under flow conditions.
Conclusions:
- These biophysical approaches offer complementary, multi-dimensional characterization of maternal blood.
- They transcend the limitations of conventional biochemical assays for pregnancy disorder diagnosis.
- Integration into point-of-care frameworks promises to transform prenatal screening and precision management.
