SALT LAKE CITY, March 13, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sera Prognostics, Inc., a women’s healthcare company, today announced that research using Sera’s innovative proteomic technology platform that revealed evidence for fetal sex differences in placental gene expression as a possible explanation of the association of fetal gender and rate of preterm birth (PTB) will be presented at the 64th Annual Society for Reproductive Investigation March 15-18 in Orlando.
Researchers conducted a secondary analysis of samples from the Proteomic Assessment of Preterm Risk (PAPR) trial that enrolled 5,501 women with singleton pregnancies from eleven U.S. centers. This analysis investigated the influence of fetal gender on risk of preterm birth, as determined by a proteomic sPTB predictor composed of measures of relative expression of IBP4 and SHBG proteins. Data from the PAPR validation study was published in 2016 in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
The following research will be presented:
Poster T-OO4: Fetal Sex Differences in Prediction of Spontaneous Preterm Birth
Presenter: Leonardo M. Pereira, M.D., Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division Chief, Perinatology, Oregon Health & Science University.
Date/Time: Thursday, March 16, 2017, 10:00 AM ET
Session Info: Poster Session: Basic Parturition (10:00 AM-11:30 AM ET)
About the Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI)
The mission of the Society for Reproductive Investigation (SRI) is to advance reproductive and women's health care through outstanding basic, translational, and clinical science and by training and mentoring future generations of investigators.
About Preterm Birth
According to the March of Dimes, globally preterm birth affects 15 million infants each year, with 1 million deaths occurring from prematurity. Of nearly 4 million babies born annually in the U.S., approximately one in ten is born prematurely. Preterm birth is defined as any birth before 37 weeks gestation, and is the leading cause of illness and death in newborns. Prematurity is associated with a significantly increased risk of major long-term medical complications, including learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, chronic respiratory illness, intellectual disability, seizures, and vision and hearing loss, and can generate significant costs throughout the lives of affected children.
About the PreTRM® Test
The PreTRM® test is the first and only clinically validated blood test that provides an early and individual risk prediction for spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic, singleton pregnancies. The PreTRM test measures and analyzes proteins in the blood that are highly predictive of preterm birth. The PreTRM test can help physicians identify early in the pregnancy (as early as 19 weeks of gestation) which women are at increased risk for premature delivery, enabling more proactive clinical decisions based on each woman’s individual risk. The PreTRM test enables researchers to develop novel interventions designed to improve newborn health.
The PreTRM test is ordered by a medical professional.
For more information about the PreTRM® test, please visit www.PreTRM.com and the PreTRM® test YouTube Channel. You can also join the conversation on Facebook and @PreTRM.
About Sera Prognostics, Inc.
Sera Prognostics, a women’s health company, develops innovative diagnostic tests focused on the early prediction of preterm birth (PTB) risk and other complications of pregnancy. Sera has launched its PreTRM® test, the first and only clinically validated blood test to accurately predict early in pregnancy the risk of premature birth. The test objectively reports to the physician the risk of premature delivery, enabling earlier proactive interventions with the goal of improving neonatal health outcomes. Sera’s proprietary technology addresses both the health and economic challenges of PTB. The Company’s strong management team has significant clinical development and women’s healthcare diagnostic experience. Sera is backed by highly respected healthcare investors, including Domain Associates, InterWest Partners, Catalyst Health Ventures, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and LabCorp. Currently, Sera is working with the Gates Foundation to translate the Company’s discoveries into technologies well suited for low-income countries in its journey to improve maternal and infant health globally. Sera Prognostics is located in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.seraprognostics.com.