Researchers at Cedars-Sinai University of Health Sciences have developed and successfully tested a new treatment for pregnant women with severe early preeclampsia, a leading cause of premature birth and maternal and infant death.
Preeclampsia is characterized by high blood pressure and can quickly become life-threatening. In the most severe early forms (before 34 weeks of gestation), doctors often have to deliver prematurely to protect the mother, even though early delivery can pose significant risks to the infant. The method tested by researchers was found to safely prolong pregnancy and give the baby more time to develop before birth.
Even a few extra days in the womb can make a big difference in the outcome of a premature baby. We found a way to buy that time safely. Our approach has the potential to change the way very early preeclampsia is managed. ”
Ananth Karmanchi, MD, co-corresponding study author, professor of medicine, director of the Renal Vascular Research Center, and Medallion Chair in Vascular Biology at Cedars-Sinai University
The approach focuses on a protein called sFlt-1, which is produced by the placenta and is known to damage blood vessels and cause symptoms of pre-eclampsia. The researchers designed a special immune protein that binds to sFlt-1 and incorporated it into a blood filtration device. Using a process called extracorporeal apheresis, similar to kidney dialysis, they were able to filter the mother’s blood and remove excess sFlt-1 without affecting other essential blood components.
Treatment was evaluated in 16 women. Their blood pressure improved, their babies continued to grow normally during treatment, and they remained pregnant for an average of 10 days, more than twice as long as untreated patients.
“Right now, the only way to treat preeclampsia and save the mother’s life and health is to deliver the baby,” said Sarah Kilpatrick, M.D., a maternal-fetal medicine expert and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai. “This puts extremely premature infants at high risk. This approach could give clinicians more flexibility in managing these high-risk cases.”
Researchers say the treatment is also notable because it removes harmful factors rather than introducing new drugs, potentially reducing the risk of side effects. However, despite the positive results in the small study, the researchers note that the treatment is experimental and needs to be tested in larger clinical trials.
“Our goal was to directly target one of the root causes of preeclampsia,” said study co-senior author Ravi Sadani, MD, MPH, executive vice president of clinical affairs and chief medical officer of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Cedars-Sinai Health System. “By lowering sFLt-1, we were able to stabilize the patient’s condition and extend her pregnancy. This is a meaningful and exciting advance.”
sauce:
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Reference magazines:
Tadani, R. others. (2026). Targeted ablation of soluble Fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 in very preterm preeclampsia: a pilot study. natural medicine. DOI: 10.1038/s41591-026-04333-6. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-026-04333-6
