Syphilis in Pregnancy: Molecular Tests and Immune Responses in Mom and Baby
Official title: Syphilis in Pregnancy Study (SIPS): Molecular Diagnostics and Maternal and Infant Immune Response to Infection
Funded at University of Alabama at Birmingham · NIH-11565923 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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 start | June 23, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $15,338 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AI176982-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11565923 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant women with confirmed syphilis and their infants, plus pregnant women without syphilis as controls, across multiple sites including Africa.
✕Less likely to help
Pregnant women without syphilis or cases not meeting cohort criteria may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project enrolls pregnant women with confirmed syphilis and their exposed infants, plus pregnant controls, and follows samples through delivery and up to 6 months after birth. Researchers will use advanced molecular diagnostics and immunology methods to map how the infection spreads from mother to fetus and how the infant’s immune system responds. The study aims to improve diagnosis and understand the factors driving adverse outcomes so future care and prevention can be more effective for families affected by syphilis in pregnancy.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to better prenatal testing and newborn care to prevent congenital syphilis and improve infant health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows high risk of adverse outcomes in maternal syphilis, with recent evidence guiding diagnostics; this study builds on that with a larger observational cohort.
Where this research is happening
-
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
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
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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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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Syphilis in pregnancy: improved tests and mother–baby immune responses
This project looks at better laboratory tests and how mothers' and newborns' immune systems respond to syphilis in pregnant people in Cameroon and Zambia.
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.