Syphilis in pregnancy: improved tests and mother–baby immune responses
Syphilis in Pregnancy Study (SIPS): Molecular Diagnostics and Maternal and Infant Immune Response to Infection
This project looks at better laboratory tests and how mothers' and newborns' immune systems respond to syphilis in pregnant people in Cameroon and Zambia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Alabama at Birmingham NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Birmingham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11376430 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be enrolled with other pregnant people who have confirmed syphilis or who do not have syphilis and followed through the first year after delivery. The team will collect blood and other samples from mothers and infants at multiple times to run molecular tests and measure immune responses. Researchers will compare 750 women with syphilis and their exposed infants to 750 pregnant controls to learn how infection moves from mother to baby and when current tests miss cases. The work is observational, so care follows local clinical guidelines while samples and data are used to improve diagnostics and understanding of outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are pregnant people in the study regions (Cameroon or Zambia) with confirmed syphilis or pregnant controls willing to provide samples and attend follow-up through 12 months postpartum.
Not a fit: People who are not pregnant, who live outside the study locations, or who are unwilling to provide repeated samples and attend follow-up visits are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier and more accurate testing for syphilis in pregnancy and newborns, which could reduce stillbirths and newborn illness.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller observational and laboratory studies have identified problems with current tests and shown promise for molecular approaches, but this large, paired mother–infant cohort is a newer and more comprehensive effort.
Where this research is happening
Birmingham, United States
- University of Alabama at Birmingham — Birmingham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dionne, Jodie Ann — University of Alabama at Birmingham
- Study coordinator: Dionne, Jodie Ann
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.