CRIB Study

CellulaR Injury and preterm Birth

 

Part of the rich interdisciplinary research to reduce preterm birth at Penn, the CRIB Study engages a network of healthcare providers across medical specialties. Despite the immense investments in understanding the behavioral and environmental origins of preterm birth, the pathophysiological mechanisms remain largely unknown and unstudied. Through an analysis of the bioenergetic and metabolic abnormalities in reproductive tissues, the CRIB study aims to address the pathways that lead to systemic dysbiosis and ultimately preterm birth. Researchers will include two groups of women with singleton pregnancies delivering at HUP in the study. The first group comprises women exhibiting symptoms of preterm labor, PPROM, or a short cervix. Women who deliver at term following spontaneous labor make up the second group. After enrollment researchers will collect blood, urine, and cervical samples, and placenta and cord blood will be obtained following delivery. Comparing the tissue profiles of these two groups will allow researchers to specifically consider how bioenergetics, premature cervical remodeling, and placental dysfunction can lead to preterm birth. 

​

Principal Investigators:
Dr. Michal Elovitz
Dr. Samuel Parry

​

Funding Agency:
March of Dimes