Non-invasive hormonal and immune monitoring in women to identify autoimmune triggers and enable personalized HRT treatment.

Health Problem

The University of Oxford reports that 1 in 10 individuals worldwide suffers from one of 80–150 WHO-classified autoimmune disorders (AID). Autoimmunity prevalence is rising rapidly.

AID causes are complex. As cells age and become less able to defend against immune system aggressors, peri-/menopausal women are particularly vulnerable due to significant decline in estrogen and progesterone hormone levels. This hormonal transition can trigger immune dysregulation or autoimmunity. Most recently, significant hormonal imbalances have been observed even in younger women and men, making it a topic of growing public health interest.

Medical Need

AID are incurable diseases causing chronic inflammation at minimum. Even low levels damage healthy tissue over time, increasing the risk of serious implications affecting body systems including lungs, kidneys, liver, connective tissue, and bowels, potentially leading to cancer. AID patients suffer from chronic inflammation, low-grade fever, fatigue, mental health issues, and eventual loss of independence. Early diagnosis is key for patients to maintain good quality of life.

Preventive AID screening is not part of general practice. The diseases often only become clear once they show full diagnostic criteria. GPs lack consultation time and resources. Medical experts call for filling these gaps.

HerPulse focuses on the early stages of subclinical immune activation and autoimmunity triggered by hormonal imbalances in women aged 35 and older.

Solution

HerPulse enables faster, more resource-effective prognostic and diagnostic tools through developing highly specialized biomedical devices with Switzerland's leading university hospital and biotechnology research institutions.

HerPulse pioneers an integrated approach through:

• Novel biosensors measuring hormone levels and prognostic autoimmune markers on the body, non-invasively or minimally invasively
• Digital diagnostic platform using intelligent medical algorithms to identify and analyze correlations over complete monthly cycles
• Individual pattern recognition across age clusters, race, ethnicity, and environmental factors—not population averages
• Supporting physicians in patient-specific diagnosis and personalized, evidence-based hormone and immune therapy with reduced time and cost

Our findings are validated through medical research with clinical partners, ensuring highest standards of precision and reliability.