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Researchers have identified a toxic protein, cis P-tau, as the primary cause of preeclampsia and are testing an antibody that targets this protein in animal models and human cells. The antibody shows promise in treating preeclampsia as well as traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer's Disease.
Researchers have achieved a significant breakthrough in identifying the primary cause and potential treatment for preeclampsia, a severe pregnancy complication. Experts pinpointed a toxic protein named cis P-tau in the blood and placenta of individuals with preeclampsia. The study describes cis P-tau as a pivotal circulating instigator of preeclampsia. An antibody developed in 2012 to target only the toxic protein while leaving its healthy counterpart unscathed is currently undergoing clinical trials in human patients suffering from traumatic brain injury and Alzheimer’s Disease. The antibody has shown promising results in animal models and human cell cultures in treating the brain conditions. Upon testing this antibody in mice, the researchers found the all symptoms associated with preeclampsia were corrected.