# Non-invasive monitoring of gestational health via placental miRNA biomarkers using TRAP technology

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN · 2023 · $423,985

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Common pregnancy complications including preterm birth, preeclampsia, intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR)
and stillbirth are significant contributors to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Over 15 million preterm
births occur annually resulting in more than one million infant deaths. A common denominator to these pregnancy
complications is the dysfunction of the placenta. The placenta is a pregnancy-specific organ indispensable for
embryonic development and fetal growth and is the direct physical interface between the mother and the growing
fetus. The pathophysiology of many obstetrical syndromes is initiated early in gestation, but symptoms often
emerge at later stages. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) circulating in the blood are derived from multiple tissue
types, including placenta, and represent a trove of biomarkers that are increasingly being utilized to diagnose
physiological disorders. Blood samples can be obtained throughout pregnancy relatively non-invasively and
could potentially be utilized to identify biomarkers related to placental dysfunction. While next-generation
sequencing (NGS), such as RNA-seq, can identify genomic variants that may provide biological and clinical
insights, the combination of cost and complexity associated with performing NGS precludes its broad adoption
as a tool for routine clinical applications. Currently available laboratory-based methods for quantifying miRNA
in bodily fluids lack quantitation, sensitivity, and selectivity to meet clinical needs. To address these gaps, we
seek to apply a novel assay method in which gold nanoparticles are functionalized with engineered nucleic acid
“toehold probes” that are activated by release of a protector sequence when the target miRNA sequence is
encountered in liquid. The activation reveals a new nucleic acid sequence that enables the nanoparticle to be
captured on a photonic crystal (PC) biosensor surface. When the gold nanoparticle’s plasmon resonant
wavelength is selected to match the PC resonant reflection wavelength, strong electromagnetic coupling occurs
that results in strong and highly localized reduction of the PC reflected intensity – enabling digital counting of the
nanoparticles. The “Target Recycling Amplification Process” (TRAP) technology is a single-step assay that is
capable of 100 aM detection limits in a <50 µl test sample, with low intensity LED illumination, an inexpensive
image sensor, no enzymatic amplification, and no fluorescent dyes. In this project, we develop assays for
simultaneous quantification of specific miRNA sequences extracted from blood serum exosomes of normal,
healthy pregnant women and women with preterm birth to generate expression profiles for four specific
biomarker miRNAs across pregnancy.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10754097
- **Project number:** 1R21HD111226-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
- **Principal Investigator:** Brian T. Cunningham
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $423,985
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-09-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10754097

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10754097, Non-invasive monitoring of gestational health via placental miRNA biomarkers using TRAP technology (1R21HD111226-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10754097. Licensed CC0.

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