Research overview
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM), pregnancy-related hormonal changes that impair insulin function, is Australia’s fastest-growing diabetes type, with cases tripling in the past decade and costing the health system an estimated $71.6M (2020-21). Alarmingly, nearly 20% of WA babies are born to mothers with GDM, making them vulnerable to well documented short- and long-term health issues, including birth complications, NICU admissions and increased risk of life-course cardio-metabolic disease.
Despite the growing burden, rates of women declining the GDM screening test, Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), are rising due to its unacceptability, limited access, and concerns over accuracy, meaning more babies in this population are being exposed to the harmful effects of undiagnosed/unmanaged GDM in utero.
Reliance on the 50-year-old outdated OGTT is no longer fit for purpose. To protect the next generation, an alternative simpler and more accessible test is urgently needed. A better, simpler test was a priority issue highlighted in findings from the Telethon/WIRF supported SWEET Mum + Baby study surveying 2,100 Australian women about their GDM experience; a message that is echoed by the GDM Consumer Advisory Group.
This AI-driven proteomics discovery pilot study (Sweet + PEA) applies advanced proteomics and a machine learning pipeline developed by the research team to identify protein biomarkers for GDM. Using existing biobanked plasma samples from pregnant women (n=43 GDM positive and n=43 GDM-negative), the team will (i) use the OLINK Reveal proteomics platform to quantify 1,000+ proteins, and (ii) apply their bioinformatics-machine learning (BI-ML) pipeline to identify novel plasma protein signatures associated with GDM. This is the first time that large-scale proteomics has been applied to GDM.
These steps are crucial to the overall aim of identifying and validating a GDM protein signature, for translation into developing a simpler, more accessible, and equitable point of-care screening test (POCT) to improve participation and, subsequently, bettering health outcomes for mums and babies.
Project researchers
Dr Julie Hibbert
Funders
Women and Infants Research Foundation
Project timeline
2026 – 2027
