How HIV, HIV treatment, and cocaine change brain cells
Single cell determinants of brain in the context of viral persistence in SIV/cART/cocaine non-human primates
This project looks at how HIV, antiretroviral therapy, and cocaine affect individual brain cells to help people living with HIV who use drugs.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11294356 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, this work uses a well-established monkey model (SIV, the primate version of HIV) with and without cocaine exposure and with antiretroviral therapy to study brain effects. Scientists will isolate cells from the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and hippocampus and run single-cell RNA and chromatin (scMultiome) sequencing to map cell-type-specific changes. The team will analyze how gene expression and regulatory programs shift in specific brain cell types during viral persistence and drug exposure. Findings will be compared to human data to help validate results and point toward mechanisms behind cognitive or mood problems in people with HIV who use drugs.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People living with HIV, especially those with a history of cocaine use or who have cognitive or mood symptoms, are the population most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People without HIV or those whose substance use does not include stimulants like cocaine are less likely to directly benefit from these specific findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could reveal specific cell-level brain changes that guide future treatments to protect thinking, memory, or mood in people living with HIV who use cocaine.
How similar studies have performed: Single-cell sequencing has provided useful cell-type maps in related HIV and brain research, but combining SIV, cART, cocaine exposure, and multiome analysis in primates is a novel and more comprehensive approach.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rana, Tariq M — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Rana, Tariq M
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.