Magnetic nanoparticles could eventually help doctors both locate and treat ectopic pregnancies, after successfully targeting pregnancy-associated tissue in mice.

When a fertilized egg implants inside a fallopian tube instead of the uterus, the growing pregnancy can rupture the tube and trigger life-threatening bleeding. About 98% of these abnormal implantations occur in the fallopian tubes, making early detection and treatment critical.

This condition, known as an ectopic pregnancy, occurs when a fertilized egg implants somewhere other than the lining of the uterus. These pregnancies cannot continue normally and remain a leading cause of maternal mortality during the first trimester.