Understanding gut health and metabolic syndrome in HIV-positive men

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

Many people living with HIV, especially men who have sex with men, experience metabolic syndrome, which increases their risk for heart problems. We know that gut bacteria and a healthy intestinal barrier are connected to metabolic syndrome in other groups, but this connection hasn't been fully understood in HIV-positive men. This project aims to uncover how changes in gut bacteria and a weakened intestinal barrier might lead to inflammation and metabolic syndrome in this specific population. By understanding these links, we hope to find new ways to improve health for these individuals.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• University of Colorado Denver
  Aurora, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Lozupone, Catherine — University of Colorado Denver
• Study coordinator: Lozupone, Catherine

Related research

Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.

• Gut health and HIV: how the gut barrier and microbiome affect metabolic health in HIV-positive men who have sex with men

  A research grant is exploring how the gut bacteria and gut barrier may influence metabolic problems in HIV-positive MSM, with the goal of finding ways to reduce obesity and heart-disease risk.

  NIH research University of Colorado Denver · Aurora, UNITED STATES · NIH-11377104

• Multi-agent AI to annotate enzymes in the human gut microbiome

  A team at a major university will build an AI system that automatically curates and labels the functions of enzymes in the human gut microbiome to speed up understanding their health effects.

  NIH research University of South Florida · Tampa, United States · NIH-11594384

• Integrated biomarker study of metabolic syndrome in pregnant women with HIV on DTG-based ART

  Researchers will look for biological signs in pregnant women with HIV on a DTG-based regimen to understand why weight gain and metabolic problems happen and how these affect pregnancy.

  NIH research Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, United States · NIH-11593952

• Biomarker profiling to understand metabolic syndrome in pregnant women with HIV on DTG-based ART

  This project looks at why some pregnant women living with HIV on a common DTG-based therapy gain weight or develop metabolic problems, by studying their proteins and metabolites across four sites in the US and Nigeria.

  NIH research Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, United States · NIH-11593951

• Biomarker profiling to understand metabolic syndrome in pregnant women with HIV on DTG-based therapy

  This project looks at markers in pregnant women living with HIV who are on a DTG-containing regimen to understand why some develop metabolic problems during pregnancy.

  NIH research Johns Hopkins University · Baltimore, United States · NIH-11572352

• Mapping how gut bacteria transform drugs

  Scientists will study how the gut microbiome changes thousands of drugs into new forms, which could affect how well a medicine works or whether it causes side effects.

  NIH research Stanford University · Stanford, United States · NIH-11550022

About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.