Transcript Effective Indicator of Preterm Labor

Effective Indicator of Preterm
Labor
INPUT
High Levels of fFN
Decrease in Progesterone
Increase in Oxytocin
Cervical Dilation
OUTPUT
Banana Smell
(MIT iGEM 2006)
Device
Progesterone
(to suppress contractions)
Goal: To create a device to implant in the vagina that senses four
symptoms of labor and expresses an aromatic gene as an
indicator of preterm birth.
How can we make bacteria
sense hormones?
Cell Receptors!
Oxytocin Receptors (OXTR)
• Receptor for the hormone and
neurotransmitter
• No known BioBrick parts
• BUT human oxytocin receptor gene was
characterized in 1994
• We’d be able to isolate and work with it
Estriol
• Form of estrogen produced by the placenta
• Serves as a direct marker of fetal adrenal gland
• Estrogen Receptor:
Part:BBa_K123003
“… derived from the Human Estrogen Receptor Alpha and optimized for activity
in E. coli. When estrogen or an estrogen like compound is present the receptor
binds to it and forms a homodimer. This homodimer is then able to bind to an
Estrogen Responsive Element (ERE BBA_K123002). .. We have therefore
designed this part to act as a repressor when bound to the ERE by physically
blocking the polymerase.”
http://partsregistry.org/wiki/index.php/Part:BBa_K123003
Complications
• Easiest way to test for estriol level is using salivary
samples
• Still trying to desgin a device that senses indicator
proteins in vaginal secretions
•
Is estriol present in vaginal secretions?
Assuming it is…
Option 1
• Create one cell with both receptors
Option 2
• Create two cells each with a different
receptor
Now that is senses these
hormones… how will it
indicate their presence and
quantities?
Indicators
• Possibility of aroma indicator
(does NOT have to be banana)
• Color indicator
Possibility of Color Indicator
• Instead of designing something to
remain in vagina, maybe create strips to
insert and do a “one time reading” or
hormone levels
• Would ideally be a standard procedure
for doctors to do
• Would allow for the existence of a
baseline to compare levels to
More things to think about…
• The goal is still to create a super bacteria
symptom sensor to serve as a more
effective indicator of preterm labor
• Still have other labor symptoms to explore
(i.e. cervix dilations, contractions)
• Differences in designing things to remain in
the vagina vs. one-time sample strips
• What about women with multiple
pregnancies?
Other Applications
• Hormone sensing bacteria could be
used in psychiatric studies, hormonal
disorders, athletics
• Mechanical stress detection
applications include bone regeneration
and cell growth (from wiki).