Syphilis Research: An Overview
Doctors and scientists are hard at work conducting research on
syphilis. These studies are designed to answer important questions and to find out whether new approaches are safe and effective. This research has already led to many advances, and scientists continue to search for more effective methods for dealing with this disease.
Current Focus of Research on Syphilis
Syphilis research scientists are developing new tests that may provide better ways to make a
syphilis diagnosis and define the
stages of syphilis. A high priority for researchers is developing a diagnostic test that does not require a blood sample. Researchers are evaluating saliva and urine to see whether they would work as well as blood.
Scientists are also trying to develop other diagnostic tests for detecting the infection in babies.
In an effort to stem the spread of syphilis, scientists are conducting research that might lead to the development of a syphilis vaccine. Molecular biologists are learning more about the various surface components of the syphilis bacterium (Treponema pallidum) that stimulate the immune system to respond to the invading organism.
Another high priority for syphilis research is the development of a safe, effective, single-dose oral antibiotic therapy as a treatment for the disease. A current research trial is evaluating oral
azithromycin for treating primary syphilis.
