How HIV medicines may affect hearing
Official title: Ototoxicity-associated Mutations Following Antiretroviral Exposure
Funded at Portland VA Medical Center · NIH-11306628 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project tests whether some HIV medications cause mitochondrial changes that lead to hearing loss in people taking antiretroviral therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Portland VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2024 |
| Project end | December 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5IK2RX004275-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306628 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people living with HIV or taking antiretroviral therapy who can provide blood samples and complete hearing evaluations.
✕Less likely to help
People not exposed to antiretroviral drugs or whose hearing loss is clearly due to other causes (e.g., trauma or long-standing noise exposure) may not receive direct benefit.
What this research studies
You would give a blood sample and have hearing tests so researchers can look for changes in mitochondrial DNA and links to hearing problems. The team will compare mitochondrial genetics and hearing results in people exposed to different antiretroviral drugs and use statistical models to identify risk patterns. The work combines genetic sequencing, audiology measures (like audiograms), and clinical data to find markers tied to drug-related hearing loss. Findings will be used to suggest who might be at higher risk and to design ways to prevent or reduce hearing damage.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify people at higher risk of drug-related hearing loss and help guide safer medication choices or monitoring to protect hearing.
How similar studies have gone: Animal and preclinical studies have suggested HIV drugs can harm hearing, but human studies are limited, so this approach is relatively new in people.
Where this research is happening
-
Portland VA Medical Center
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Debacker, James Riley — Portland VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Debacker, James Riley
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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.