Protecting babies exposed to HIV from serious infections
Developing Interventions for Protecting HIV-Exposed Uninfected Infants against Severe Infections
This project aims to see if changing gut bacteria and their products can strengthen immune defenses in babies born to mothers with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166446 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If your baby was exposed to HIV before birth but is uninfected, researchers will follow groups of these babies and babies not exposed to HIV and collect blood and stool samples at about 6, 24, and 48 weeks of age. They will measure immune cell function, gene activity, epigenetic markers, blood metabolites, and the gut microbiome using sequencing and metabolomics. The team will compare these data to find specific gut bacteria and metabolites linked to weaker natural killer and T cell responses and then test those links in lab experiments. The goal is to identify dietary or microbiome targets that could be changed to help protect HEU infants from severe infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are infants born to HIV-positive mothers who are confirmed HIV-negative and who can attend study visits around 6, 24, and 48 weeks of age.
Not a fit: Infants who are HIV-infected, older children, or adults would not be eligible and would not directly benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to dietary or microbiome-based approaches that reduce severe infections and hospitalizations in HIV-exposed uninfected infants.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows the infant gut microbiome influences immune development, but using microbiome- or metabolite-targeted interventions specifically for HIV-exposed uninfected infants is largely untested.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weinberg, Adriana — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Weinberg, Adriana
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.