New molecular tests to diagnose syphilis in pregnancy and track treatment
Official title: Multi-omic approaches to identify novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of syphilis in pregnancy and assessment of treatment response
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11159726 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking for blood-based molecular signals that could help diagnose syphilis during pregnancy and show whether treatment worked.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $246,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AI186006-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11159726 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people with suspected or confirmed syphilis, especially those with unclear antibody results, unknown treatment history, or high risk of reinfection, would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant or who do not have current or suspected syphilis would not gain direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
If you are pregnant and have suspected or confirmed syphilis, the team will collect blood and related samples before and after treatment to look for molecular signals tied to active infection and therapy response. They will use multi-omic lab techniques (for example, RNA, protein, and other molecular profiling) to search for patterns that distinguish past infection from current infection and that change after treatment. Those molecular patterns will be compared with standard antibody tests and clinical outcomes to see which markers best signal active disease or successful treatment. The goal is to point toward tests that give faster, clearer answers for pregnant people and their clinicians.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to faster, more accurate tests to prevent congenital syphilis by guiding timely diagnosis and treatment in pregnancy.
How similar studies have gone: Multi-omic biomarker work has shown promise in other infectious diseases, but applying these methods to diagnose syphilis in pregnancy and track treatment response is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gaw, Stephanie Lina — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Gaw, Stephanie Lina
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Syphilis in Pregnancy: Understanding Infection in Moms and Babies
A study following pregnant women with syphilis and their babies to learn how the infection affects pregnancy and newborn health.
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Syphilis in Pregnancy: Molecular Tests and Immune Responses in Mom and Baby
A study to understand how syphilis affects pregnancy and newborns by using molecular tests and tracking immune responses in 750 pregnant women with syphilis and their babies.
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Preventing syphilis in pregnant people in Rio de Janeiro
A clinical trial in Brazil tests a pregnancy-safe antibiotic plan to stop syphilis from affecting babies.
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Preventing congenital syphilis in pregnant people at risk in Rio de Janeiro
A clinical trial will test a treatment approach during pregnancy to reduce syphilis transmission from mother to baby for pregnant people at risk in Rio de Janeiro.
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Syphilis in Pregnancy: Molecular Tests and Immune Responses in Moms and Babies
This study follows pregnant women with syphilis and their babies to understand how the infection affects both, using advanced tests to learn more about the immune response and how the infection passes to the baby.
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Improving testing and immune care for syphilis in pregnancy
Researchers will use advanced lab tests and follow pregnant women with syphilis and their babies to learn how the infection and immune responses affect birth outcomes.
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.