Syphilis in Pregnancy: Molecular Tests and Immune Responses in Moms and Babies
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-11392402 · Data updated 2026-11-12
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.
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) | $451,400 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI176982-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392402 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant women with confirmed syphilis and their infants, as well as pregnant women without syphilis for comparison, willing to participate and provide samples through delivery and 6 months postpartum.
✕Less likely to help
Participants not directly affected by syphilis or not benefiting from improved diagnostics may include individuals not experiencing vertical transmission or not followed beyond the study period.
What this research studies
Researchers will enroll up to 750 pregnant women with confirmed syphilis and their exposed infants, plus pregnant controls, and collect samples through 6 months after delivery. The project will apply molecular diagnostics and immunology techniques to map how the infection behaves during pregnancy and how it impacts the fetus. This observational cohort seeks to illuminate why congenital syphilis remains a major concern and how better testing could improve outcomes for mothers and babies. The work brings together experts in perinatal infectious diseases, syphilis biology, and infant immunity to answer priority questions in this area.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could lead to earlier detection and better understanding of mother-to-child transmission, potentially reducing congenital syphilis and adverse birth outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has shown elevated prevalence of syphilis in pregnancy and the value of molecular and immune studies, with this project aiming to expand on that evidence.
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.
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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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Syphilis in Pregnancy: Molecular Tests and Immune Responses in Mom and Baby
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.