How HIV-related gut damage affects the gut and brain health
Official title: Understanding How GI tract Damage During HIV/SIV Infection Leads to Enteric Nervous System (ENS) Dysfunction and CNS Neuroinflammation
Funded at Oregon Health & Science University · NIH-11472850 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how damage in the gut from HIV/SIV infection may lead to brain inflammation and cognitive issues, even when HIV is suppressed by treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,157,469 |
| NIH project number | 1R01MH146623-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11472850 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are those with HIV or SIV-related gut and brain pathology, represented here by non-human primate models to model potential human outcomes.
✕Less likely to help
Results may not translate to individuals without HIV or gut-brain disease connections.
What this research studies
Researchers will study rhesus macaques with and without SIV infection and with induced chronic gut inflammation to uncover how gut damage connects to brain changes. They will use advanced tissue analysis and spatial methods to map where damage and immune responses occur, linking gut pathology to neuroinflammation. The study seeks to reveal mechanisms that could explain persistent brain-related problems in people living with HIV despite ART.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding this pathway could guide new therapies to protect brain health in people with HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Previous pilot work in these models suggests gut damage can drive neuroinflammation, supporting a potentially translatable mechanism.
Where this research is happening
-
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Estes, Jacob D — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Estes, Jacob D
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.