AI Blood Test for PCOS Gets ₹4.98 Crore ICMR Grant
The proposed test will use a routine blood sample to look for molecular signals in circulating immune cells.
Hyderabad:A research team is working on an artificial intelligence-based blood test that could identify molecular subtypes of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and help doctors tailor fertility treatment, with the project receiving a ₹4.98-crore grant from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
The team comprises Prof. Suresh Yenugu of the Department of Animal Biology, Dr Manjari Kiran of the Department of Systems and Computational Biology, and clinical co-investigator Dr Sree Durga Patchava, head of reproductive medicine at Virinchi Hospitals.
The four-year project, led by researchers at the University of Hyderabad’s (UoH) School of Life Sciences, aims to develop a non-invasive diagnostic platform that could eventually cost less than ₹2,000. The project began on September 16 after ICMR sanctioned the grant on September 1, with ₹1.52 crore released for the first year, UoH said.
The proposed test will use a routine blood sample to look for molecular signals in circulating immune cells. Researchers will analyse these signals using single-cell transcriptomics and artificial intelligence to understand what they reveal about the ovarian follicular environment.
The larger goal is to move PCOS treatment away from a largely symptom-based approach towards molecular endotyping, where patients are classified according to distinct biological characteristics. This could help doctors assess how individual patients may respond to fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilisation (IVF), before expensive treatment cycles begin.
PCOS is a complex endocrine disorder associated with reproductive and metabolic problems and is a major cause of infertility. UoH said the absence of precise molecular tools can leave fertility treatment dependent on trial and error, potentially resulting in repeated IVF attempts and considerable financial and emotional strain.
The project will also create what UoH describes as India’s first single-cell transcriptomic atlas of PCOS, providing a population-specific genomic resource. The researchers said existing PCOS genomic databases largely represent Western populations, limiting their relevance to Indian women.
The project is also expected to identify biological pathways that could support future drug discovery. Its funding will add a high-performance GPU computing workstation and real-time PCR system to the university’s research infrastructure and create specialised positions for young scientists, the university said.
