How lasting immune changes in the brain may harm people with HIV on ART
Innate immune memory promotes neural damage in the ART suppressed HIV infected brain
This work explores whether long-lived changes in brain immune cells cause nerve damage in people living with HIV whose virus is suppressed by antiretroviral therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Tulane University of Louisiana NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310407 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers at Tulane are studying how brain immune cells called microglia stay ‘primed’ and promote inflammation and nerve-cell injury in people with HIV who are on ART. They focus on a lipid signal (ceramide) made by an enzyme called nSMase2 and use laboratory models, tissue samples, and animal experiments to trace how this pathway changes microglial behavior. The team will test whether blocking nSMase2 can reduce microglial reprogramming, inflammation, and neural damage in these models. The goal is to identify molecular targets that might prevent or treat thinking and mood problems linked to HIV despite viral suppression.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults living with HIV who are on suppressive ART—especially those experiencing cognitive or mood symptoms or willing to donate blood or tissue samples—would be the most relevant group.
Not a fit: People without HIV or those seeking an immediate clinical therapy today are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic laboratory-focused work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to new treatments that reduce brain inflammation and protect thinking and mental health in people living with HIV on ART.
How similar studies have performed: Related studies have connected microglial priming and ceramide signaling to neuroinflammation in other conditions, but applying this mechanism to the ART-suppressed HIV brain is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
New Orleans, United States
- Tulane University of Louisiana — New Orleans, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Haughey, Norman J — Tulane University of Louisiana
- Study coordinator: Haughey, Norman J
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.