Understanding how antibody-based protection could prevent neonatal HSV infection
Official title: Understanding and optimizing antibody-based interventions against neonatal HSV infection
Funded at Dartmouth College · NIH-11398093 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study at Dartmouth College is exploring antibody-based ways to shield newborns from herpes by enhancing maternal antibodies and their ability to protect the baby.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Dartmouth College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hanover, United States) |
| Project start | August 14, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $776,973 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI176646-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398093 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant people or newborns at risk of HSV exposure, with no direct participant involvement yet since this is animal-model research informing future human studies.
✕Less likely to help
Current findings in the animal model may not directly benefit individual patients until translated to human studies or approved interventions.
What this research studies
The project uses a mouse model to study how maternal antibodies can reach the fetus and prevent neonatal herpes infection, aiming to capture not just survival but potential behavioral effects. Researchers will examine antibody-mediated protection and how it interacts with antiviral drugs like acyclovir in early life. The goal is to identify approaches that could translate into maternal or neonatal strategies to reduce death and neurodevelopmental issues from neonatal HSV. This work builds on prior findings that maternal antibodies can cross the placenta and protect the developing fetus from HSV.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could inform maternal strategies or therapies to prevent severe neonatal HSV disease and improve long-term outcomes for affected infants.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies suggest maternal antibodies can protect against neonatal HSV, and this project extends that approach in a new mouse model to assess outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
Dartmouth College
Hanover, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ackerman, Margaret E — Dartmouth College
- Study coordinator: Ackerman, Margaret E
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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.