Tracking high‑risk oral HPV and risk for oropharyngeal (throat) cancer
Official title: Characterize longitudinal events of oral high-risk human papillomavirus to alter risk for oropharyngeal cancer (CLEAR)
Funded at University of Maryland Baltimore · NIH-11173631 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows people at higher risk—especially those living with HIV—to learn how high‑risk oral HPV starts, persists, or clears and how that relates to throat cancer risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Maryland Baltimore NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $562,100 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DE033862-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11173631 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are HPV‑unvaccinated adults at increased risk for oropharyngeal cancer, especially people living with HIV or those with detectable oral high‑risk HPV.
✕Less likely to help
People who have already completed HPV vaccination or who are not at elevated risk for oral HPV or throat cancer may not directly benefit from participating.
What this research studies
You would be screened for oral high‑risk HPV and, if selected, some participants will be followed every six months for up to 18 months. At each visit researchers will collect an oral gargle and blood sample to test for high‑risk HPV, CD4 count, HIV viral load, and study the oral microbiome. The team will look for patterns and predictors of HPV persistence or clearance that might come before precancerous changes. Those findings would help guide earlier detection or prevention steps for oropharyngeal cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help detect people at higher risk for HPV‑related throat cancer earlier so preventive care or closer monitoring can start sooner.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies link HPV to oropharyngeal cancer and show persistent HPV can precede lesions at other body sites, but long‑term, detailed tracking of oral high‑risk HPV in people with HIV is still limited, so this approach is partly novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nowak, Rebecca G. — University of Maryland Baltimore
- Study coordinator: Nowak, Rebecca G.
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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.