How HIV treatment affects Kaposi sarcoma and the virus in the mouth
ART Modulation of Viral Pathogenesis
Researchers are seeing whether HIV medicines plus cancer therapy change the virus that causes Kaposi sarcoma and improve outcomes for people living with HIV who have oral or systemic KS.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11256947 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of work focused on people living with HIV who develop Kaposi sarcoma, including lesions in the mouth. The team will combine samples and data from large clinical trial collections and from clinics in the US and sub-Saharan Africa to compare effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) with and without chemotherapy. They will test blood and oral samples for the Kaposi sarcoma–associated herpesvirus (KSHV), study how ART affects oral transmission and the latent viral reservoir, and use advanced lab methods and analytics to find disease biomarkers. The goal is to help doctors pick the best therapy for each HIV+ KS patient.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people living with HIV who have Kaposi sarcoma, especially those with oral KS or who are receiving or may receive ART and chemotherapy.
Not a fit: People without HIV or without Kaposi sarcoma are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify markers and treatment combinations that reduce KS progression and improve outcomes for people living with HIV.
How similar studies have performed: Previous clinical collections and research exist, but the specific effects of ART on KSHV oral transmission, the latent reservoir, and oral KS remain poorly understood, so this builds on earlier work while addressing new questions.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dittmer, Dirk P — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Dittmer, Dirk P
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.