Easy to Do at Home! After Pregnancy Tests, It's Time for "Menstrual Tests" - Next-Generation Technology to Detect Endometriosis from Menstrual Blood

1. Liberation from "Pain is Just in Your Head"

Endometriosis is a chronic condition affecting approximately 200 million people worldwide. It causes severe menstrual pain and infertility, requiring imaging tests or laparoscopic surgery for a definitive diagnosis. In the United States, an average diagnostic delay of 12 years has been reported.

2. Borophene × HMGB1—The Core of a New Device

Professor Dipanjan Pan's team at Pennsylvania State University has developed a disposable device to detect the inflammation-related protein HMGB1 in menstrual blood. The mechanism involves antibodies fixed on test paper that bind with HMGB1, revealing a line, achieving five times the sensitivity of conventional methods.

3. The Key is the 2D Material "Borophene"

The breakthrough in device sensitivity was achieved using borophene, a new material comparable to carbon-based graphene. The research team exfoliated powdered boron in water to produce uniform nanosheets, akin to "weeding and tilling," aligning antibodies on their surface to enhance HMGB1 capture efficiency.

4. Backing the Fivefold Sensitivity

The study conducted tests with menstrual blood samples with varying HMGB1 concentrations. Positive lines appeared even at low concentrations undetectable by conventional ELISA, proving effective for early screening, particularly in asymptomatic and early-stage patients.

5. Laying the Groundwork for "Menstrual Pad-Integrated" Devices

Professor Pan and his team envision integrating the sensor into napkins for continuous monitoring during wear. A similar approach has been reported by MenstruAI at ETH Zurich, accelerating the trend of simultaneous analysis of multiple biomarkers like CA-125 using AI apps.

6. Tailwinds for the Femtech Market

The femtech market is projected to surpass $70 billion by 2025, with menstrual blood biomarkers emerging as a promising new field. Borophene sensors are expected to be cost-effective for mass production, suitable for remote diagnostics and large-scale screenings in developing countries.

7. Social Media Reflects the "Long-Awaited Step"

On the day of the announcement, @ChemistryNews on X (formerly Twitter) shared the article, garnering hundreds of views. The patient-centered community celebrated with comments like "#EndoTest is finally a reality" and "The day we can visualize pain has come," with Science X's official post spreading on Threads.X (formerly Twitter)Threads

8. The Pros and Cons of Information Dissemination

Instagram's "#EndometriosisAwarenessMonth" is praised as a source of information about the condition, yet it also mixes misinformation and excessive promotion of alternative therapies. Researchers emphasize the need to communicate accurate usage and limitations when rapid tests become commercially available.MDPIResearchGate

9. Perspectives from the Medical Field

Among gynecologists, there is cautious optimism about home screening, with concerns about managing false positives and negatives. Comprehensive evaluation is needed, including revalidation of sensitivity and specificity in clinical trials, approval processes by the FDA and PMDA, and privacy protection.

10. Future Outlook—Capturing the "Voice of Pain" with Science

Menstrual blood has long been considered "waste." However, the advent of borophene sensors marks the first step in unlocking the vast biological information hidden within. To address the societal pain point of diagnostic delays and protect patients' quality of life, collaboration between science and the community is now crucial.