Blood cell mutations, chromosome changes, and heart disease in people living with HIV
Official title: Evaluation of Novel Clonal Hematopoiesis Of InDEterminate Potential, Mosaic Chromosomal Alterations and CardioVascular Disease in HIV Infection (ENCODE CVD in HIV)
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11373117 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether age-related blood cell mutations and large chromosome changes help explain why people living with HIV have a higher risk of heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | July 5, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $175,455 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HL170600-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11373117 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living with HIV, particularly older adults or those on antiretroviral therapy, who can provide blood samples and allow access to their health records are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV or those whose cardiovascular disease is driven by causes unrelated to inflammation are unlikely to directly benefit from this research.
What this research studies
People living with HIV will give blood samples so researchers can look for clonal hematopoiesis (age-related mutations in blood cells) and mosaic chromosomal alterations. Scientists will also measure inflammation markers tied to the NLRP3/IL-1β/IL-6 pathways and collect information about heart disease history and outcomes. Genetic, biomarker, and clinical record data will be combined to see whether these blood changes are linked to higher cardiovascular risk in people with HIV. The work uses samples and clinical data from cohorts at UCLA and follows health records over time to connect molecular findings with heart events.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to immune-related targets and new therapies to reduce heart attack and stroke risk in people with HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in the general population have linked clonal hematopoiesis and inflammatory pathways to higher heart disease risk, but applying these findings specifically to people with HIV is a more recent effort.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hsue, Priscilla Y. — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Hsue, Priscilla Y.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Understanding how genetic changes in blood cells relate to heart disease in people with HIV
A study will look at how age-related blood cell mutations and large chromosomal changes might contribute to heart disease risk in people living with HIV.
-
Lp(a) and HIV: Understanding Heart Disease Risk in HIV Patients
This program looks at how Lipoprotein(a) contributes to higher heart disease risk in people with HIV and what Lp(a) levels mean for future treatments.
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Understanding how age-related blood changes affect heart disease risk in people with HIV
This study looks at whether certain blood-level genetic changes and chromosome alterations in people living with HIV relate to higher risk of heart disease.
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Clonal blood mutations and chromosome changes linked to heart disease in people with HIV
Researchers will look for whether age-related blood mutations and large chromosome changes raise heart disease risk in people living with HIV.
-
How Lp(a) levels affect heart and artery disease risk in people with HIV
This project looks at whether higher levels of a blood lipid called Lp(a) raise the chance of heart and artery disease for people living with HIV.
-
Investigating the link between aging, HIV, and heart disease
This study is looking at how getting older and living with HIV can raise the chances of heart problems in older adults, and it aims to find ways to help reduce that risk by understanding the biological changes involved.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.