A treatment for the potentially deadly pregnancy condition pre-eclampsia is a step closer after a discovery by a team of Melbourne scientists.
Pre-eclampsia affects one in 20 pregnancies and kills an estimated 60,000 women around the world each year.
The condition occurs when the placenta releases a toxin into the mother's bloodstream, damaging her organs.
Scientists at Melbourne's Mercy Hospital say they have identified a molecule which releases the toxin into the bloodstream.
Associate Professor Stephen Tong says the discovery is significant, but an effective treatment for pre-eclampsia is still at least 10 years away.
"But at least for now we've identified a specific target that we could now very much hone in our drug development, whereas before it would be difficult to even know where to start," he said.
The team's findings have been published in The American Journal of Pathology.