How HIV and malaria together weaken immune defenses during pregnancy
Official title: Mechanisms of innate immune dysfunction in SIV/malaria co-infection in pregnancy
Funded at Tulane University of Louisiana · NIH-11140376 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at how an HIV-like infection and malaria during pregnancy change immune cells in pregnant monkeys to learn ways to better protect mothers and their babies.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tulane University of Louisiana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | September 24, 2021 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $786,987 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD108015-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11140376 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people living with HIV in malaria-endemic regions would be the group most likely to benefit from the findings and from related future clinical trials.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, do not have HIV, or live in areas without malaria are unlikely to see direct benefits in the near term.
What this research studies
This work uses pregnant rhesus macaques infected with SIV (the monkey equivalent of HIV) and a simian malaria parasite to model co-infection during pregnancy. Researchers will follow immune cells in the blood and placenta, focusing on neutrophils and innate lymphoid cells, to see how co-infection alters immune responses. Lab tests will include tissue analysis, cell profiling, and functional assays to map the pathways that lead to poor birth outcomes. The goal is to identify targets that could guide safer, more effective treatments for pregnant people living with HIV in malaria-prone areas.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to new treatments that reduce illness and death for pregnant people with HIV who get malaria and improve outcomes for their babies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal and observational human studies have noted immune changes with HIV and malaria co-infection, but targeted therapies for pregnant people with HIV remain limited, making this mechanistic approach relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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Tulane University of Louisiana
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Manuzak, Jennifer — Tulane University of Louisiana
- Study coordinator: Manuzak, Jennifer
Related research
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Household malaria treatment to protect pregnant women
This project gives malaria medicine to people who live with pregnant women to lower the risk of malaria for the mother and her unborn baby.
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Understanding immune system issues in pregnant women with HIV and malaria
This study looks at how having both HIV and malaria affects the immune system of pregnant women, using pregnant monkeys to learn more about the problems that can arise during pregnancy, with the hope of finding better ways to help mothers and their babies stay healthy.
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.