How HIV medicines change body fat, fat cell function, and fat inflammation
Pathophysiology of Metabolically Detrimental Changes in Adipose Distribution, Adipocyte Function, and Adipose Immune Environment on Antiretroviral Therapy
['FUNDING_R01'] · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · NIH-11290409
This project looks at why people with HIV starting integrase-based HIV medicines often gain unhealthy fat around organs and how that affects metabolism.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (NASHVILLE, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11290409 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you join, the team will follow people with HIV who start integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)–based therapy during the first year of treatment. They will measure diet, activity, energy expenditure and fatty acid oxidation, use advanced imaging to map fat in the abdomen, liver and muscle, and take small subcutaneous fat samples using micro-liposuction. Those fat samples will be analyzed with single-cell gene sequencing and tissue gene expression to see how fat cells and immune cells are behaving. Combining these methods will help link changes in energy balance and inflammation to the buildup of harmful visceral and ectopic fat.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults with HIV who are starting or are within their first year on INSTI-based antiretroviral therapy and who can attend in-person visits and undergo metabolic testing and small fat sampling.
Not a fit: People without HIV, those not on INSTI-based therapy, or those unwilling or unable to have imaging or fat biopsies are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could reveal why harmful fat gain happens on modern ART and point to ways to prevent or treat insulin resistance, fatty liver, and heart disease in people with HIV.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has documented weight and central fat gain with some ART regimens, but integrating detailed metabolism measures with single-cell adipose tissue analysis and imaging is a relatively new and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
NASHVILLE, UNITED STATES
- VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER — NASHVILLE, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: KOETHE, JOHN — VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- Study coordinator: KOETHE, JOHN
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.
Conditions: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus, Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus