Raman spectroscopy for diagnosis of gestational diabetes
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Disrupting the diagnostic paradigm for gestational diabetes using blood-based Raman spectroscopy
IRAS ID
252101
Contact name
Cathy Thornton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Swansea University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a modifiable risk factor associated with increased perinatal complications and longer term adverse health outcomes for mother and child. Therefore, screening for GDM has been introduced worldwide but there is much debate about the best strategy for and cost-effectiveness of this. Here, we will investigate an alternative diagnostic approach that we propose provides a broad measure of mother's health status to determine if it can identify women with GDM (against the current criteria). We will use a technique called Raman spectroscopy to analyse blood serum and provide a molecular fingerprint unique to each study participant. The hypothesis to be tested is that Raman spectroscopy provides an alternative to the current GDM diagnostic test. We will collect a blood sample from women undergoing the current standard GDM glucose tolerance test and compare results with our test to this. The same blood sample will be used to identify the cells and molecules in the blood that give a fingerprint associated with GDM. As women with GDM are at increased risk of later development of type 2 diabetes, we will collect another blood sample after the baby is born from some of the women diagnosed with GDM and some who were not. This extra sample on a subset of participants will be for future studies related to predicting the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. We are keen to determine if service users - pregnant women and health care workers - would welcome a replacement test. Therefore, as part of the consent process we will ask women to indicate if they are happy to be invited to participate in this questionnaire and focus group based study which will be covered in a different submission for REC approval.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/0722
Date of REC Opinion
12 Jul 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion