Antibodies and vaginal bacteria in HPV-related cervical changes
Antibody bound bacteria during HPV infection and cervical dysplasia
This project looks at whether antibodies bind different vaginal bacteria in women with HPV or cervical cell changes to understand why some women develop more serious lesions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Case Western Reserve University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cleveland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11398821 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will collect vaginal samples and cervical pathology results from women with and without HPV and with normal tissue, low-grade, or high-grade lesions. They will separate bacteria that are coated with antibodies from those that are not, identify which microbes are present, and analyze their functions using laboratory tests and sequencing. The team will compare the proportion and activity of antibody-bound versus unbound bacteria across these groups to find patterns linked to persistent HPV or progression to more severe cervical disease. Findings could help explain how immune responses and the vaginal microbiome interact in cervical health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Women who can provide vaginal samples and have known HPV status and cervical pathology results—ranging from normal findings to low-grade or high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia—would be eligible.
Not a fit: People without a cervix, those unable to provide vaginal samples, or those not within the study's recruitment area would not be eligible and would not benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This could identify microbial or immune markers that predict HPV persistence or progression, helping guide future prevention or treatment strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has linked the vaginal microbiome to HPV outcomes, but systematically studying which bacteria are bound by antibodies in the reproductive tract is a novel approach with limited prior data.
Where this research is happening
Cleveland, United States
- Case Western Reserve University — Cleveland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Langel, Stephanie N. — Case Western Reserve University
- Study coordinator: Langel, Stephanie N.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.