How immune cells and cocaine affect the brain's protective barrier in people with HIV
Official title: Immune mechanisms that shape the blood brain barrier in people living with HIV and cocaine use disorder
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11306608 · Data updated 2026-11-12
The team will look at whether past or current cocaine use changes immune cells and weakens the blood-brain barrier in people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | June 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,026,430 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA060568-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11306608 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living with HIV, especially those with a history of cocaine use, who can give blood samples and complete cognitive testing are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV or whose cognitive issues are caused by unrelated conditions (such as stroke or advanced Alzheimer's disease) are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will compare people living with HIV who have and haven't used cocaine by collecting blood samples and doing brief cognitive tests. They will look for a specific kind of immune cell (CCR2+ALCAM+ intermediate monocytes) that may carry HIV into the brain and check whether those cells cross the blood-brain barrier more easily. Laboratory models of the barrier will be used to see how these cells and cocaine affect barrier cells and tight junctions. The aim is to connect immune changes and barrier damage to brain viral reservoirs and thinking problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to protect the brain and improve thinking and memory for people with HIV who have used cocaine.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked cocaine and HIV to blood-brain barrier damage and cognitive issues, but targeting CCR2+ALCAM+ monocytes as a route into the brain is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Veenhuis, Rebecca Terilli — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Veenhuis, Rebecca Terilli
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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.