New “smart fabrics,” electronic textiles coated with electrolytes and carbon nanotubes, are capable of detecting diseases and monitoring heart rates and other vital signs, researchers report.

In laboratory tests, they showed that the new E-fibers could light up a simple light-emitting diode when connected to a battery. When coated with certain antibodies, the fibers detected the presence of albumin, a key protein in blood — a function that could be used to detect bleeding in wounded soldiers.