How some HIV medicines might harm the heart
Official title: Cardiovascular Risk of Antiretroviral Therapy Drugs in HIV
Funded at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation · NIH-11310194 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking at whether certain HIV drugs cause heart scarring and raise the risk of sudden death for people living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Oklahoma City, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $654,015 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL167656-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11310194 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV, especially those taking protease inhibitor–based ART or who are concerned about heart disease, would be the ideal candidates to engage with this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV or whose heart problems are caused by unrelated conditions are unlikely to benefit directly from this research.
What this research studies
From your perspective, the team wants to know if some antiretroviral drugs make platelets release a protein (TGFβ1) that leads to scarring in the heart. They will measure TGFβ1 and platelet activity in blood samples, use lab and mouse models that carry HIV-like genes, and link those findings to signs of cardiac fibrosis. Early work showed protease-inhibitor regimens can trigger TGFβ1 release and more heart scarring in mice, so researchers will also test whether blocking a platelet transporter (MRP4) can stop that process. The goal is to find whether changes in treatment or drugs that block this pathway could prevent heart damage in people with HIV.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify which HIV treatments raise heart risk and suggest ways to prevent heart scarring and sudden deaths in people with HIV.
How similar studies have gone: Prior human observations and pilot animal studies link higher plasma TGFβ1 and cardiac fibrosis to HIV and some ARTs, and blocking platelet MRP4 showed promise in early preclinical work, but translating this to patient prevention is new.
Where this research is happening
-
Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
Oklahoma City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ahamed, Jasimuddin — Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation
- Study coordinator: Ahamed, Jasimuddin
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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.