Understanding syphilis immunity to improve care and vaccine development
Official title: Syphilis Immunology and Biology to Improve Clinical Management and Vaccine Design
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-11386345 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will follow people with new and repeat syphilis infections in Lima, Peru to learn how their immune systems respond.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 1, 2018 |
| Project end | October 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $414,444 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI139265-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11386345 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults recently diagnosed with syphilis in Lima — including both first-time and repeat infections — who can attend clinic visits and provide samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without syphilis, those with only remote or fully treated past infections, or those unable to travel to Lima are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this study.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will recruit people in Lima who have recently been diagnosed with syphilis, including those with first-time and repeat infections. They will treat participants according to standard care, collect blood and other samples, and track symptoms and test results over time. Laboratories at USC, UPCH, UW, and partner groups will use modern immunology and antigen-detection methods to compare antibody responses and bacterial markers between groups. The study builds on earlier Lima cohort work to identify immune patterns that could improve testing and guide vaccine targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could lead to better diagnostic tests, improved post-infection care, and information useful for designing a syphilis vaccine.
How similar studies have gone: Related Lima cohorts have improved understanding and testing for syphilis, but vaccine development remains largely unproven and this project applies newer laboratory methods.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Klausner, Jeffrey David — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Klausner, Jeffrey David
Related research
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Preventing congenital syphilis in pregnant people at risk in Rio de Janeiro
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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.