How HIV and long-term cocaine use change brain cells
Official title: Single cell transcriptomic and epigenomic changes during chronic HIV infection and cocaine self-administration
Funded at Allen Institute · NIH-11312690 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will look at how HIV infection and chronic cocaine use alter gene activity and DNA accessibility in brain cells to better understand brain problems in people living with HIV who use cocaine.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Allen Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2022 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $3,662,329 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DA056003-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11312690 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
The human group this research aims to help is people living with HIV who currently use or have a history of chronic cocaine use.
✕Less likely to help
The project is conducted in mice and does not enroll patients, so individuals cannot participate directly and will not receive immediate clinical benefit from this specific work.
What this research studies
This project uses a mouse model that can be infected with a form of HIV (EcoHIV) and a compulsive-like cocaine self-administration procedure to mimic chronic cocaine use. Scientists will profile individual brain nuclei using single-nuclei RNA sequencing and single-nuclei ATAC-seq, and map molecules in tissue with MERFISH to see which cell types and brain regions show changes. The team aims to identify where and how HIV and cocaine interact in neurons and non-neuronal brain cells to worsen brain health and support persistent cocaine use. Findings are intended to point to specific cells and molecular pathways that could be targeted in future human-focused therapies or trials.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal cellular targets and molecular pathways that lead to new treatments to reduce cognitive problems or addiction in people living with HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Single-cell RNA and epigenetic profiling have revealed important cell-specific changes in neuroinflammation and addiction before, but applying these methods together to a compulsive cocaine self-administration model in the context of HIV is a novel combination.
Where this research is happening
-
Allen Institute
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zeng, Hongkui — Allen Institute
- Study coordinator: Zeng, Hongkui
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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.