Bone loss after starting HIV medicines: the role of the gut and gut bacteria
Official title: Predictors of Antiretroviral Immunereconstitution Bone Loss - the Gut and the Microbiome
Funded at Emory University · NIH-11395102 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether immune recovery and gut bacteria explain sudden bone loss in adults living with HIV who start antiretroviral therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Emory University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | September 21, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $55,678 |
| NIH project number | 3R01AR079298-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11395102 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults (age 21+) living with HIV who are planning to begin or have recently started antiretroviral therapy and can attend visits at the study site.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV, those under age 21, or individuals not starting ART are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
I am studying adults with HIV who are starting antiretroviral therapy to understand why many lose bone quickly in the first six months. The team will follow participants over time with bone density scans, blood tests to track immune cell changes, and stool samples to study the gut microbiome. Researchers will also analyze T cell receptor patterns to see if expanding T cell clones that react to gut or microbial antigens drive bone loss. By comparing people who lose more bone to those who do not, they hope to link gut damage, microbes, and immune activation to bone health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to predict and prevent rapid bone loss in people with HIV starting ART.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier clinical studies have consistently found bone loss after starting ART, but linking that loss to specific T cell clones and the gut microbiome is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Emory University
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weitzmann, Mervyn Neale — Emory University
- Study coordinator: Weitzmann, Mervyn Neale
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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.