Non-invasive liquid biopsy screening to predict preterm birth and complications
Official title: Development of Non-invasive Liquid Biopsy Screening Tool for Preterm Birth Causes and Consequences
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11378539 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new blood-test approach aims to predict and understand preterm birth and its related conditions in pregnant people and fetuses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | August 13, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $684,644 |
| NIH project number | 6R01HD110579-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11378539 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant individuals in whom early screening for preterm birth risk and related conditions would be useful, including those at risk for preeclampsia or fetal growth restriction.
✕Less likely to help
Pregnant people with low risk of preterm birth or conditions may not benefit from this screening approach.
What this research studies
This project plans to develop a liquid biopsy based on cell-free DNA methylation patterns in maternal blood to identify early risk for preterm birth and to forecast how conditions like preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction may progress. Building on prior non-invasive prenatal testing work, the team will create analytical tools to extract tissue-of-origin and epigenomic signals from cfDNA to improve risk stratification throughout gestation. The goal is to enable earlier, more accurate warning signs and better-informed clinical decisions for moms and babies. Outcomes could include new screening methods and predictive models that guide monitoring and interventions for at-risk pregnancies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a non-invasive test that flags high-risk pregnancies early and helps tailor care to prevent adverse outcomes for both mother and baby.
How similar studies have gone: Previous NIPT approaches show promise; this project extends those methods to predict trajectories of PTB, PE, and IUGR.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Peters, David Gerard — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Peters, David Gerard
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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A study in pregnant people will test whether screening for Chlamydia trachomatis and treating it during pregnancy can reduce the risk of babies being born too early.
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IL-9 Signaling and Immune-Driven Preterm Birth
This NIH grant supports training a physician-scientist to lead a new lab studying how immune signals, especially IL-9, affect preterm birth.
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.