Texas-based university receives grant for chlamydia research

In an effort to combat chlamydia, one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in the U.S., the National Institutes of Health gave a $140,000 grant to the University of Texas in San Antonio (UTSA). This funding will assist investigators at the school advancing their current studies on infection prevention, according to KENS5.com.

The research focuses on better understanding how chlamydia affects the reproductive system in women. The school was also approved to begin creating a vaccine that could protect against the STD.

Currently, studies have found that while the body's immune system can fight chlamydia, women who become infected with the STD commonly experience infertility. As a result of the growing number of people who are unaware they have chlamydia, more individuals don't realize its damaging effects until they get pregnant, the news source reports.

During a recent trial conducted at UTSA, researchers worked towards a better understanding of how the infection is linked to infertility by testing experimental treatments on mice. Potential therapies focus on protecting against the STD and slowing damage to the body caused by chlamydia.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1.2 million people were diagnosed with chlamydia in 2008.