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Defining knowledge gaps in preterm birth research: Can biomarkers fill the gaps?
Scott M Williams1,2, Kevin P Rosenblatt3,4, Sandra Reznik5
1Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States.
Frontiers in Medicine
|September 18, 2025
Summary
Preterm birth (PTB) is a complex syndrome with limited understanding of its causes. Integrating diverse research domains and biomarkers can improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of PTB for better infant outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Perinatal medicine
- Public health
Background:
- Preterm birth (PTB) is a major cause of infant mortality and morbidity.
- Current understanding of spontaneous PTB's complex etiologies and molecular pathways is limited.
- Existing knowledge gaps hinder effective clinical management and development of novel treatments for PTB.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine domain-driven research areas for a better understanding of PTB.
- To explore the role of infection, inflammation, and social factors in PTB risk.
- To identify limitations in developing new pharmacological treatments for PTB.
Main Methods:
- Review of current research domains contributing to PTB understanding.
- Discussion of biomarker development for risk assessment and mechanism definition.
- Analysis of integrating complementary biomarkers across research domains.
Main Results:
- Infection, inflammation, and social determinants significantly influence PTB risk.
- Biomarker panels can define PTB risk and mechanisms, bridging research gaps.
- Heterogeneity of PTB necessitates population-specific and diverse biomarker assessments.
Conclusions:
- Integrating diverse research findings and biomarkers is crucial for advancing PTB understanding.
- Novel diagnostic, preventative, and management strategies can be developed through complementary biomarker integration.
- Improved understanding of PTB can lead to reduced global rates and better infant outcomes.
