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GAPPS Repository

One-of-a-Kind Biobank Makes Pregnancy Research Possible

To accelerate the pace of scientific discovery, researchers need access to high-quality clinical and biological information from pregnant women and newborns around the world, particularly from regions with the greatest burden of disease, such as Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The lack of biological samples from pregnant women linked with data has been a major impediment to solving the complex problems of preterm and stillbirth. To address this need, GAPPS established a coordinated and standardized system for collecting, processing, banking and sharing data and specimens. The GAPPS Repository is the first standardized, widely accessible source of high-quality specimens linked to data from diverse populations of pregnant women and newborns.

The repository was designed to support research on normal and abnormal pregnancies, including how pregnancy affects maternal and child health after delivery. It provides a critical resource for researchers striving to understand and prevent adverse birth outcomes. The collection method allows investigators to study multiple factors at different points throughout pregnancy, which is necessary to predict adverse outcomes and their correlation to gestational age.

The GAPPS Repository drives discovery science research and helps identify biomarkers that can lead to predicting, treating and ultimately preventing preterm birth and stillbirth. The repository also serves as a resource for studies aimed at understanding other adverse birth outcomes and the fetal origins of adult disease. GAPPS data and samples are available to researchers worldwide.

The repository launched with four collection sites, but with the huge potential for furthering advances in research, GAPPS will expand the network of global collection sites. As part of this effort, GAPPS is collaborating with hospitals, universities and research institutes in the United States and around the world.

GAPPS Repository is the first standardized, widely accessible collection of high-quality specimens linked to data from diverse populations of pregnant women.