Brain chemical changes in HIV that may drive cocaine relapse
Examination of epigenetic spatial architecture in the CNS as a method to understand cocaine relapse in ecoHIV infected mice
This project looks at whether changes to chemical tags on brain proteins in an HIV-like infection help explain why people relapse to cocaine.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Drexel University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11195710 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient viewpoint, researchers are using a mouse model of HIV and voluntary cocaine use to map tiny chemical tags on brain proteins that may be linked to relapse. They will create a high-throughput imaging pipeline that gathers tens of thousands of images per animal and brain region and then apply AI and machine learning to find spatial patterns at the tissue and nucleus level. The work focuses on a specific modification called histone dopaminylation and how its distribution in the brain changes with drug exposure and HIV-like infection. Findings aim to connect molecular changes to relapse-like behavior so future treatments can target those changes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV who have a history of cocaine use and relapse would be most relevant for follow-up or future clinical studies.
Not a fit: People without HIV or those who do not use stimulants are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to biomarkers or molecular targets to help prevent or treat cocaine relapse in people living with HIV.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have shown that dopamine-driven histone changes can influence cocaine-seeking behavior, but combining large-scale spatial imaging with AI is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Drexel University — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Klase, Zachary Alan — Drexel University
- Study coordinator: Klase, Zachary Alan
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 below.