Cannabis and aging-related brain changes in people living with HIV
Official title: Exploring the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis on Alzheimer's disease associated neuropathology HIV infection and aging: An Autopsy Study
Funded at Lsu Health Sciences Center · NIH-11407813 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at brain tissue after death to understand how cannabis use may affect Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in people living with HIV as they age.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lsu Health Sciences Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | August 5, 2026 |
| Project end | April 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $748,679 |
| NIH project number | 1R01AG099763-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11407813 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV who are aging, and whose brain tissue is available for autopsy or has already been collected in the program, and those with or without cannabis exposure.
✕Less likely to help
Living patients who are not in advanced age ranges or who do not have autopsy tissue availability may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
Researchers will examine full-body autopsy tissues from people with and without HIV to map HIV reservoirs in the body and brain and to explore whether cannabis use is linked to reduced brain inflammation and altered Alzheimer’s disease-related changes. They will use tissue analyses to measure inflammatory markers and tau pathology relevant to AD in the context of aging and HIV. The findings could help clarify whether cannabis exposure influences neuropathology in aging PLWH. This is an autopsy-based project that builds on a program that already collects tissues from decedents to study HIV and brain changes. Results could inform future studies on preventing neurodegeneration in this population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could improve understanding of how HIV and aging interact in the brain and identify factors that modulate neurodegenerative changes in PLWH.
How similar studies have gone: Existing work suggests cannabis use may be linked to reduced HIV brain tissue inflammation, but the impact on AD-related changes in aging PLWH is still being explored.
Where this research is happening
-
Lsu Health Sciences Center
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wood, Charles — Lsu Health Sciences Center
- Study coordinator: Wood, Charles
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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.