A newly developed immune profiling tool is able to identify antibodies that set off preterm births, News-Medical reported on Wednesday.
The finding points to the immune system as a factor in why some pregnancies end early, according to the outlet. The tool works by profiling immune activity to single out the specific antibodies involved in triggering early labor.
Preterm birth, when a baby arrives before the completion of the normal pregnancy term, remains a leading cause of complications for newborns. Much about what causes the body to begin labor ahead of schedule is still not well understood.
The report frames the antibody identification as a step toward understanding the mechanisms behind early delivery. By pinpointing which antibodies are responsible, the tool could give researchers a clearer target for studying the condition, News-Medical reports.
The outlet did not provide further details on how the tool was built, who developed it, or where the research was conducted.
What to watch next: whether follow-up studies confirm these antibodies as a reliable marker and whether the approach leads to ways of predicting or preventing preterm births.
