Cannabis and immune changes in young Black men living with HIV
Official title: Cannabis Use and Proximal Immune Dysregulation (CUPID)
Funded at University of Miami Coral Gables · NIH-11238903 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether cannabis use is linked to inflammation and early immune aging in young Black men with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Miami Coral Gables NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Coral Gables, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $164,052 |
| NIH project number | 5K23MD018337-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238903 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Young Black men who have sex with men living with HIV, including adolescents and young adults who can attend clinic visits, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV, women, non-Black individuals, older adults, or those who do not use cannabis are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will enroll young Black men who have sex with men living with HIV and ask about cannabis use and life stress. They will collect blood to measure inflammation markers and leukocyte telomere length and use biological tests (not only self-report) to detect recent cannabis exposure. The team will follow participants over time with repeated visits to see short-term immune changes related to cannabis and stress. The goal is to learn whether cannabis use is tied to less inflammation or slower immune aging in this group.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could clarify whether cannabis affects inflammation or immune aging and help guide lifestyle or medical advice for young Black men with HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have been mostly cross-sectional and relied on self-report, so results are limited and this longitudinal, biomarker-focused approach is relatively novel for young Black MSM with HIV.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Miami Coral Gables
Coral Gables, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Williams, Renessa — University of Miami Coral Gables
- Study coordinator: Williams, Renessa
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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.