This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (CFDA 93.865 - Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research) provides $641,883 to The Regents of the University of Colorado, doing business as the University of Colorado-Denver, for a 5-year research project focused on premature birth. The goal is to test the hypothesis that supplementing premature guinea pigs with candidate human placental proteins can improve outcomes related to mortality, respiratory, neurodevelopmental, and long-term lung and neurological impacts. The researchers will induce preterm delivery in guinea pigs, provide neonatal intensive care support, and administer candidate proteins or a control to measure the effects on the premature animals. This conceptually novel approach may lead to a new intervention to alleviate mortality and morbidity in extremely premature infants if the research demonstrates positive results.