title: New research models and novel signal analysis in studies on preterm labor: a key to progress?
abstract: Preterm labor affects up to 20% of pregnancies, is considered a main cause of associated neonatal morbidity and mortality and is responsible for neonatal care costs of multimillion euros. In spite of that, the commercial market for this clinical indication is rather limited, which may be also related to high liability. Consequently, with only a few exceptions, preterm labor is not in the orbit of great interest of the pharmaceutical industry. Coordinated effort of research community may bring the change and help required to reduce the influence of this multifactorial syndrome on society. Between the novel techniques that are being explored in a SAFE (The Special Non-Invasive Advances in Fetal and Neonatal Evaluation Network) group, there are new research models of preterm labor as well as novel methodology of analysis of biological signals. In this article, we briefly describe new clinical and nonclinical human models of preterm labor as well as summarize some novel methods of data processing and analysis that may be used in the context of preterm labor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology of Pregnancy, Medical University of Bialystok, 15-276 Bialystok, Poland. piotr.pierzynski@wp.pl
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pierzynski
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oczeretko
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laudanski
authors.forename: Tadeusz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laudanski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D035843:Biomedical Research; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D012107:Research Design