How HIV and mouth bacteria affect oral HPV in Nigerian children and teens

HPV, HIV and Oral Microbiota Interplay in Nigerian Youth (HOMINY)

NIH-funded research University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11159845

This project follows children and adolescents born to HIV-positive and HIV-negative mothers in Nigeria to learn how HIV and oral microbes influence whether oral HPV comes and stays.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Pennsylvania NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Philadelphia, United States)
Project IDNIH-11159845 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you or your child were born to a mother with or without HIV in Nigeria, this project will follow participants over time and collect mouth samples and health information. The team will compare kids born to HIV-positive versus HIV-negative mothers and include those living with HIV to see patterns of oral HPV infection and persistence. Researchers will analyze the community of mouth bacteria and their functions to find links that might help HPV stick around. The hope is to identify signals that could guide prevention, monitoring, or vaccine strategies to reduce future HPV-related oral cancers.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are children and adolescents in Nigeria with known perinatal exposure status (born to HIV-positive or HIV-negative mothers), including those living with HIV, who can provide oral samples and attend follow-up visits.

Not a fit: People outside the child and adolescent age range, those not born to mothers with known HIV status, or those unwilling to provide oral samples and follow-up are unlikely to directly benefit from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify children at higher risk for persistent oral HPV and inform targeted prevention or monitoring approaches.

How similar studies have performed: Previous adult studies have linked HIV, changes in the oral microbiome, and oral HPV risk, but studies that follow children and adolescents over time are limited and this pediatric focus is relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Philadelphia, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.