New molecular tests to diagnose syphilis in pregnancy and track treatment
Multi-omic approaches to identify novel biomarkers for the diagnosis of syphilis in pregnancy and assessment of treatment response
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 ID | NIH-11159726 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: 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.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant or who do not have current or suspected syphilis would not gain direct benefit from participating.
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 performed: 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
San Francisco, United States
- 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
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.