How vaginal bacteria may change immune cells to increase HIV risk
The Role of the Macrophage in Bacterial Vaginosis Mediated HIV Risk
This project explores whether the bacteria that cause bacterial vaginosis change vaginal immune cells in ways that make women likelier to get HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Gainesville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11180366 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be asked to provide a vaginal fluid sample (or samples may be collected at partnering clinics) which researchers will use in lab tests to see how immune cells called macrophages respond. The team will expose macrophages to vaginal fluids from women with BV and from healthy controls and measure inflammatory and HIV-related markers. They will apply detailed proteomics and epigenetic testing to the macrophages and use metagenomics and metabolomics to characterize the vaginal fluid. Computational analyses and machine learning will be used to link specific microbial combinations to macrophage changes that could promote HIV infection.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are women of reproductive age, including those diagnosed with bacterial vaginosis and healthy controls, who can provide vaginal fluid samples.
Not a fit: People who do not have a vagina or who cannot or will not provide vaginal samples would not directly participate or benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify bacterial or chemical signatures that increase HIV susceptibility and suggest new prevention strategies or treatments for women with BV.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked BV to higher HIV risk, but using ex-vivo macrophage stimulation together with multi-level proteomics and machine learning to study this is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Gainesville, United States
- University of Florida — Gainesville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parker, Ivana — University of Florida
- Study coordinator: Parker, Ivana
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.