How cannabis affects immune cells and drug targets in people living with HIV
Official title: Cell-type based epigenomic analysis to identify druggable genes for people living with HIV infection and using cannabis
Funded at Yale University · NIH-11195684 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether cannabis use changes DNA markers in specific immune cells of people living with HIV to find possible drug targets.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $999,317 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA061926-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11195684 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV, particularly those who currently use or have used cannabis and who can give blood samples, are the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV, those unwilling to provide blood samples, or those not using cannabis are unlikely to get direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
Researchers will collect blood from people living with HIV who do and do not use cannabis and isolate specific immune cells like CD4+ T cells and B cells. They will map DNA methylation and chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq) in each cell type and combine that with genetic variant data (meQTL) to see how genes are regulated. The team aims to identify gene changes linked to the HIV reservoir and to discover genes that could be targeted by drugs. The work uses patient blood samples and lab-based genome-wide analyses to find cell-type-specific signals that bulk blood tests miss.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could point to new drug targets or help guide safer use of cannabis for people with HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier bulk blood studies found epigenetic links to HIV and some druggable genes, but applying cell-type specific epigenomics to cannabis use in people with HIV is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Yale University
New Haven, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Xu, Ke — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Xu, Ke
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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.