Placental proteins that support babies born early
Official title: Placental Proteins and Prematurity
Funded at University of Colorado Denver · NIH-11238925 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at placental proteins to find ways to help babies born before 37 weeks.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | December 1, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $654,914 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD116753-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238925 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people at risk of early delivery and parents of infants born before 37 weeks who can consent to provide placental tissue, cord blood, or allow their infant to join related studies would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who deliver at term, adults without pregnancy-related concerns, or patients with conditions unrelated to placental proteins are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
This research studies proteins the placenta releases before birth and how losing them at delivery might harm babies born early. Researchers will analyze human placentas and blood samples to identify proteins that support lung, brain, and blood-vessel development. They will use lab models and animal experiments to test how specific placental proteins affect organ growth and to explore whether replacing them could help preterm infants. The goal is to guide future treatments or supplements to reduce complications like chronic lung disease or brain injury in preterm babies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new therapies or supplements that protect developing organs and improve outcomes for babies born premature.
How similar studies have gone: Early animal studies and initial human tissue analyses support the role of placental proteins in fetal organ development, but direct treatments replacing those proteins in preterm infants remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado Denver
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jansson, Thomas — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Jansson, Thomas
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Butyrate-based approach to prevent vision loss in premature babies with retinopathy
A study is exploring whether increasing butyrate levels can prevent vision-damaging retinopathy in premature infants by addressing gut bacteria and metabolic pathways.
-
TopoROP: Multi-View Analysis to Diagnose Retinopathy of Prematurity
A new AI-based tool analyzes retinal images to help doctors diagnose Retinopathy of Prematurity in premature babies and other patients at risk.
-
Long-term endotypes of prematurity-related lung disease in former preemies
A long-term study looking at why some babies born very early develop lasting breathing problems and how their genes might explain these different paths.
-
Deep learning tool to diagnose retinopathy of prematurity in newborns
A new AI-based diagnostic tool uses eye images from premature babies to help clinicians identify treatment-needed retinopathy of prematurity.
-
Cortical dystonia in kids born early
Researchers are studying why premature birth leads to dystonia in cerebral palsy and looking for new ways to help children and adults who have this condition.
-
AI-enhanced wide-field eye scans for detecting retinopathy of prematurity
Using faster handheld wide-field eye scans plus AI to find early signs of retinopathy of prematurity in premature babies and help guide treatment.
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.