How COVID-19 affects people living with HIV
Understanding Co-morbidities: COVID-19 in individuals living with HIV/AIDS
Researchers are using monkey models to find out whether having HIV changes how COVID-19 looks and how severe it can be for people with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas Biomedical Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Antonio, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11259486 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project uses rhesus macaque models that carry SIV (the monkey version of HIV) and are infected with SARS-CoV-2 to mirror people living with HIV who get COVID-19. The team will compare disease signs during the first infection and in the weeks after to see if underlying SIV-related immune problems make COVID-19 worse. They will also look at whether antiretroviral-like treatment in the model prevents the harmful immune activation thought to drive worse outcomes. Findings aim to link immune changes caused by HIV to how COVID-19 progresses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The most relevant people are adults living with HIV, especially those with evidence of ongoing immune activation or recent COVID-19 infection.
Not a fit: People without HIV are not the focus and would be unlikely to benefit directly from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help doctors understand which people with HIV face higher risk from COVID-19 and inform better prevention or treatment strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Nonhuman primate models have been useful for studying COVID-19 and vaccines, but combining SIV and SARS-CoV-2 to mimic HIV/COVID co‑infection is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
San Antonio, United States
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute — San Antonio, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Singh, Dhiraj Kumar — Texas Biomedical Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Singh, Dhiraj Kumar
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.