Minimally invasive tissue testing for meningitis in people with HIV in Zambia
Official title: Minimally Invasive Tissues Sampling to Evaluate HIV-associated Meningitis in Zambia
Funded at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center · NIH-11397442 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using small tissue and spinal fluid samples, doctors will look for infections and markers that explain and help diagnose meningitis in people living with HIV in Zambia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | June 15, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $150,642 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS129156-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11397442 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults living with HIV in Zambia who have suspected meningitis or families willing to allow minimally invasive post-mortem tissue donation are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV, patients outside the study regions, or those unwilling to undergo lumbar puncture or tissue donation are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If I join, clinicians in Zambia will collect small, minimally invasive tissue samples and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from people with HIV who have suspected meningitis and, with permission, perform targeted post-mortems. The team will test samples for common causes such as tuberculous meningitis and other central nervous system co-infections and will search for lipid markers in CSF that could become simple bedside tests. The project will also train and strengthen local laboratory methods so hospitals can handle and analyze CSF and brain tissue more reliably. Together these steps aim to explain why people with HIV die from meningitis and to create faster, more accurate diagnostics usable in resource-limited settings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify causes of HIV-associated meningitis and produce faster, more accurate diagnostics that lower mortality.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior work has identified meningitis causes and candidate biomarkers, but combining minimally invasive post-mortem sampling with CSF lipid biomarker development in this setting is relatively novel and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
-
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Siddiqi, Omar Khalik — Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Siddiqi, Omar Khalik
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Personalized Immunomodulatory Therapy for HIV-related Cryptococcal Meningitis
A patient-focused study investigates a personalized treatment approach to improve outcomes for people with HIV who develop cryptococcal meningitis.
-
Improving Diagnostics and Neurocognitive Outcomes in HIV/AIDS-related Meningitis
A study in Uganda aims to use faster, better tests and a new antifungal to help people with HIV who develop meningitis.
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TB meningitis diagnostic test compare and cost study in sub-Saharan Africa
Researchers are testing a new CSF urine-based test (SILVAMP TB LAM) to improve diagnosis of TB meningitis in people with HIV, to help speed treatment and reduce death in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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Minimally Invasive Sampling to Improve HIV-Associated M meningitis Diagnosis in Africa
A research study is testing easier, less invasive ways to diagnose meningitis in people living with HIV, with a focus on making diagnosis faster and more accurate in Africa and the US.
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Understanding brain injury in kids with tuberculous meningitis (iThemba)
A study in children with TB meningitis in South Africa will look at how inflammation and blood-clotting factors relate to brain injury and infarcts.
-
Serological clues to survival in HIV-related cryptococcal meningitis
This grant looks for antibody signals in the blood that could predict who survives cryptococcal meningitis in people with HIV.
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.