Long-term marijuana use and brain inflammation in people with HIV
Modeling the effects of chronic marijuana use on neuroinflammation and HIV-related neuronal injury
['FUNDING_R01'] · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · NIH-10910237
This project looks at whether chronic marijuana use changes brain inflammation and nerve damage in adults living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (WINSTON-SALEM, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-10910237 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From my perspective as someone with HIV, the team combines lab models with a group of 140 adults to compare chronic marijuana users and non-users over time. They will collect blood and other samples to measure inflammatory markers and cannabinoid metabolites and link those measures to brain injury markers. Participants will also complete thinking and memory tests so researchers can follow changes in brain function alongside lab findings. Together the lab and human data aim to show how marijuana and HIV might add up to hurt or change the brain.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 and older living with HIV, including both regular marijuana users and non-users who can provide samples and attend follow-up visits, are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without HIV, those under 21, or individuals unwilling to provide samples or attend clinic visits are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could clarify whether cannabis use increases brain injury in people with HIV and help guide safer treatment or harm-reduction advice.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown mixed results—some link chronic marijuana use to worse cognition in people with HIV—while combining lab models with a longitudinal human cohort is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
WINSTON-SALEM, UNITED STATES
- WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES — WINSTON-SALEM, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: MEADE, CHRISTINA S — WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- Study coordinator: MEADE, CHRISTINA S
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.
Conditions: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Virus, Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome Virus, Acquired brain injury