Understanding how HIV PrEP affects gut microbes and inflammation
Official title: Changes in Enteric Microbiota and Inflammation with HIV PrEP
Funded at Seattle Children's Hospital · NIH-11387852 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A doctor-scientist team will study how HIV prevention pills may change gut viruses and bacteria and whether that relates to gut inflammation in people starting PrEP.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Seattle Children's Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Seattle, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $193,644 |
| NIH project number | 5K08AI177080-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11387852 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults starting HIV PrEP or those not using PrEP, who are willing to provide stool and blood samples and participate in follow-up visits.
✕Less likely to help
Those who do not start PrEP or cannot provide stool samples may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This grant will follow people who begin HIV PrEP and a similar group not using PrEP, collecting blood and stool samples at baseline and after three months. We will use advanced sequencing to map the viruses and bacteria in the gut and see how they change with PrEP. We will also try to pair specific bacteria with their viral partners and grow these pairs in the lab to confirm their interactions. The goal is to understand how PrEP might influence gut health and systemic inflammation through microbiome shifts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could lead to better management of gut health and inflammation in people using PrEP.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked antiretrovirals to changes in the gut microbiome and inflammation, but this study explores specific virus-bacteria interactions in PrEP.
Where this research is happening
-
Seattle Children's Hospital
Seattle, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Maust, Brandon Swartz — Seattle Children's Hospital
- Study coordinator: Maust, Brandon Swartz
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Effects of HIV prevention medication on gut bacteria and inflammation
This study is looking at how starting PrEP for HIV might change the bacteria in your gut and affect inflammation, and it's for people who are beginning PrEP and want to understand its impact on their overall gut health.
-
mChoice: Boosting PrEP Use and Adherence for Black and Latino MSM with Tailored Training and Support
A national study to help Black and Latino men who have sex with men start and stick with PrEP through culturally matched provider training and patient support.
-
Harnessing male peer networks to boost HIV testing and PrEP use
A large clinical trial in South Africa tests whether giving HIV self-test kits through male peer networks, with phone support, increases PrEP uptake among men.
-
Harnessing men's peer networks to boost HIV self-testing and PrEP use
A large project in South Africa tests whether giving HIV self-test kits through men’s social networks, with phone support, can lead to more men starting PrEP and using HIV testing.
-
Diet, gut microbiome, and immune health in adults with type 2 diabetes
A study at Stanford is exploring how fermented foods and their molecules, like lactate, influence gut bacteria and the body's immune and inflammatory responses in adults with adult-onset diabetes.
-
Participatory system dynamics to improve PrEP access in the Bronx
A community-driven project in the Bronx will use system dynamics to identify practical ways to help people at risk for HIV start and stay on PrEP.
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.