How mucus-producing cervical cells protect against infection in pregnancy
Official title: Functional and Molecular Characterization of Epithelial Subtypes in Cervical Remodeling and Preterm Birth
Funded at Ut Southwestern Medical Center · NIH-11257722 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at mucus-producing cervical cells in pregnancy to find markers that could signal which pregnant women are at higher risk for infection-related preterm birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ut Southwestern Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Dallas, United States) |
| Project start | March 24, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $626,998 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD110147-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11257722 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant women willing to provide cervicovaginal fluid samples across trimesters, especially those concerned about or at risk for preterm birth, would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant or whose preterm birth risk is unrelated to ascending infection or cervical epithelial health are unlikely to directly benefit from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers use mouse models and advanced single-cell and spatial gene-expression techniques to map distinct cervical epithelial cell types that appear during pregnancy. They will trace the origin of two mucus-secreting goblet cell populations and define how progesterone and estrogen control their growth and differentiation. The team will model barrier defects and inflammation in mice to see which epithelial changes allow bacteria to ascend and trigger preterm birth. Finally, they will measure an immune protein called olfactomedin 4 in cervicovaginal fluid from pregnant women across trimesters to see if it reflects cervical epithelial health and links to preterm birth risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a vaginal-fluid biomarker or new targets to prevent infection-driven preterm birth.
How similar studies have gone: Single-cell mapping of reproductive tissues has produced promising insights, but using goblet-cell markers and olfactomedin 4 in vaginal fluid as a clinical predictor of infection-related preterm birth is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Ut Southwestern Medical Center
Dallas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mahendroo, Mala S. — Ut Southwestern Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Mahendroo, Mala S.
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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.