Immune monitoring during pregnancy to prevent early birth
Official title: Prenatal Immunomonitoring in Spontaneous Preterm Birth Prevention (PROMIS)
Funded at Ohio State University · NIH-11258512 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses immune checks in pregnant people to predict and help prevent spontaneous preterm (early) birth.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ohio State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbus, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $473,817 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD110503-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11258512 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant individuals in early or mid-pregnancy, including those with prior preterm birth or other risk factors for early delivery.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant or whose early births are driven by non-immune causes may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
You would give blood samples during pregnancy so researchers can measure immune markers using a new prenatal immunomonitoring method. The team has shown this method can better predict birth timing in low-risk groups and spontaneous preterm birth in higher-risk groups. They will compare immune signals across different risk groups and run lab tests to see how hormones like progesterone change immune responses. Results are meant to guide targeted preventive treatments instead of giving antibiotics or anti-inflammatories to everyone.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could identify pregnant people at higher risk for spontaneous preterm birth and allow doctors to offer targeted preventive care.
How similar studies have gone: The investigators report that their immunomonitoring approach outperformed existing methods in prior cohorts, but broad clinical use is still new.
Where this research is happening
-
Ohio State University
Columbus, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gillespie, Shannon L. — Ohio State University
- Study coordinator: Gillespie, Shannon L.
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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.