How HIV and drug use change DNA packing in brain cells over time
Single Chromatin Fiber Sequencing and Longitudinal Epigenomic Profiling in HIV+ Brain Cells Exposed to Narcotic and Stimulant
This project follows how HIV plus opioid or stimulant exposure changes the way brain cells organize their DNA in people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11293404 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective as someone affected by HIV, researchers are mapping where HIV hides in different brain cell types and how the cell’s DNA packaging (chromatin) and gene activity change, especially when narcotics or stimulants are involved. They will use advanced long-read single chromatin fiber sequencing to read large stretches of DNA packaging that short-read methods miss, and combine that with cell-specific RNA and epigenetic data from human brain samples. The team builds on work with postmortem human brains and aims to create profiles that reveal patterns of viral latency and possible CNS viral escape linked to substance use. Ultimately the effort is meant to give a clearer picture of how brain cells maintain or express HIV over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people living with HIV—particularly those with a history of opioid or stimulant use—who are willing to contribute to brain-tissue donation programs or linked biospecimen cohorts.
Not a fit: People without HIV or those not willing to donate tissue or participate in linked sample collections are unlikely to directly benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify how HIV hides or reactivates in brain cells and how substance use alters that process, guiding future tests or treatments targeting brain reservoirs.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies using short-read genomics have found cell-type specific HIV signals in the brain, but applying single chromatin fiber long-read sequencing and longitudinal epigenomic profiling in human brain tissue is largely new.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Akbarian, Schahram — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Akbarian, Schahram
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.