Understanding HIV-related sensory nerve damage and painful nerve changes
Official title: Supplement to Pathogenesis of HIV-associated sensory neuropathy
Funded at University of Texas Med Br Galveston · NIH-11300742 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are tracking how sensory nerve endings change in HIV-related nerve pain and testing whether blocking nerve-growth signals like NGF can stop harmful nerve sprouting.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Med Br Galveston NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Galveston, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | August 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $80,000 |
| NIH project number | 3R01NS122571-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11300742 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV who have chronic painful peripheral sensory neuropathy would be the ideal future candidates to benefit from therapies developed here.
✕Less likely to help
People without HIV or those whose neuropathy is caused by unrelated conditions (for example, longstanding diabetic nerve loss) may not benefit from these specific findings.
What this research studies
If I have HIV and experience burning, numbness, or chronic painful neuropathy, this work follows how tiny nerve endings in skin change over time using a mouse model that mimics HIV-related nerve damage. The team labels and images two types of nerve fibers (PGP9.5+ and GAP43+) to see how healthy fibers degenerate while others sprout abnormally. They will give treatments that block nerve-growth signals such as NGF and study Wnt5a-related signaling to see if stopping sprouting helps restore healthier nerve patterns. The supplement adds real-time visualization and tracking of nociceptor changes and focuses on targeting NGF to prevent harmful sprouting.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to new ways to reduce or prevent painful sensory neuropathy in people living with HIV by stopping abnormal nerve sprouting and helping nerves recover.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work blocking NGF has reduced pain in some clinical settings but has safety and durability challenges, and targeting Wnt5a-related mechanisms is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Med Br Galveston
Galveston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yuan, Subo — University of Texas Med Br Galveston
- Study coordinator: Yuan, Subo
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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.