Category Archives: Research

Tiny doses of THC show big benefits for HIV treatment

January 21, 2026 administrator Leave a comment

New research from Texas Biomedical Research Institute suggests that long-term use of very small amounts of THC may reduce inflammation and ease several harmful effects linked to HIV and antiretroviral therapy (ART).

THC, short for tetrahydrocannabinol, is the primary active compound found in cannabis. In this preclinical research, scientists used extremely low doses that did not cause noticeable nervous system effects such as euphoria or a “high.”

Researchers observed several potential benefits, including higher levels of serotonin and reductions in inflammation, cholesterol, and toxic secondary bile acids. One of the most striking findings was that levels of ART medications in the bloodstream were lower, even though viral suppression remained intact. Because ART drugs can strain the liver over time, this reduction may be especially meaningful. The study was conducted in animal models that closely reflect people living with HIV who are receiving ART, and the results were recently published in Science Advances.

Read the full article.

HIV, HIV care, Research

HIV and Your Brain

November 24, 2025 administrator Leave a comment

From POZ online…

In the early years of the epidemic, neurological problems—dubbed neuro-AIDS—were a major concern. HIV can damage the brain directly, and several opportunistic infections can cause neurological symptoms. According to some estimates, as many as half of all people with AIDS developed debilitating brain problems.

Today, severe neurological manifestations of HIV are less common thanks to effective antiretroviral treatment. Nonetheless, people living with the virus may experience more subtle neurological and cognitive problems, collectively known as HIV-related neurocognitive disorder (HAND). Even when viral load is undetectable, HIV can cause chronic immune activation and inflammation that take a toll on the brain. What’s more, the aging HIV population is prone to the neurocognitive decline that comes with advancing age.

It is unclear how many people are affected by HAND. Studies have produced widely varying estimates, in part because they use different definitions of the condition. But we know that HIV-related neurocognitive problems are more common among people with uncontrolled virus and advanced immune suppression, as indicated by a low CD4 T-cell count.

Read the full article.

Commentary, Health Alerts, HIV care, Research

NIH Funding Cuts Disrupt Clinical Trials, Affecting 74,000 Participants

November 20, 2025 administrator Leave a comment

From POZ online…

The Trump administration has terminated billions of dollars in grants to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), impacting over 74,000 people enrolled in medical studies and clinical trials, including cancer research, according to a report published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The report shows that between the end of February and mid-August, 383 studies—testing treatments for cancer, heart disease, brain disease and more—have been affected by NIH cuts. What’s more, the cuts disproportionately impacted research into infectious diseases, including the flu, pneumonia and COVID-19.

During the study period, about 11,008 NIH-funded studies were disrupted at varying levels. Some participants may have signed up for trials that never started or were delayed in hopes of securing alternate funding. Others may never see the results of their trial published. Trials that were active and not recruiting, where participants may have been receiving interventions, had a total of 74,311 enrolled patients, according to CBS News.

Read the full article on POZ.com.

Health Alerts, News and Information, Prevention, Research

‘Devastating’: NIH cancels future funding plans for HIV vaccine consortia

June 3, 2025 administrator Leave a comment

From Science.org…

In a move that could bring future research on HIV vaccines to a near halt, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) notified researchers today that it will not renew funding next year for two major consortia in the beleaguered field, Science has learned. NIAID also recently stopped funding three research groups that evaluate experimental vaccines in monkeys.

The notification, which was communicated verbally by NIAID program officers, “couldn’t have happened at a worse time, because the recent clinical trial results [for candidate HIV vaccines] are very promising,” says Dennis Burton of Scripps Research, who heads one of the two Consortia for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD).

Although researchers in the field acknowledge a vaccine for the AIDS-causing virus remains far off, the new leads have brought a fresh sense of optimism, and many scientists say they demand vigorous follow up. “This sets us back at a pivotal moment,” says Mitchell Warren, executive director of AVAC, a nonprofit that advocates for HIV prevention. The consortia “really have been pioneers in vaccine discovery,” says Warren, who is not involved in their work.

Read the full article.

HIV, HIV care, Research

Treatment: Highly Resistant HIV

March 26, 2025 administrator Leave a comment

From Poz.com…

An experimental regimen containing lenacapavir and a monoclonal antibody was able to control HIV replication in a person with multidrug-resistant virus, according to researchers from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Standard antiretroviral regimens are usually effective, but they don’t always work against highly resistant virus. This case study involved a 58-year-old man with Kaposi sarcoma (KS), an indicator of advanced immune suppression.

He had used several regimens over three decades and developed resistance to all available antiretrovirals and most HIV antibodies. Over 70 weeks, he was treated with the HIV capsid inhibitor lenacapavir (Sunlenca), two other antiretrovirals (tenofovir and emtricitabine), the mono-clonal antibody semzuvolimab (UB-421), antibiotics (trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole and azithromycin) and chemotherapy and immunotherapy for KS. Within two weeks, his viral load rapidly declined, becoming undetectable after a year of treatment. What’s more, his CD4 T-cell count rose, indicating immune system recovery.

Read the full article.

HIV, Research, Stigma

Study: Stigma Remains Primary Health Concern in Patients With HIV/AIDS

December 20, 2024 administrator Leave a comment

From ajmc.com…

HIV stigma comes in many forms. HIV.gov defines stigma as any “irrational or negative attitudes, behaviors, and judgements toward people living with or at risk of HIV.”³ This can include people refusing contact with someone living with HIV, refusing care to those who have HIV, or socially isolating someone who is living with HIV. Those who are at a higher risk of HIV may be affected by stigma due to their gender identity, sexual orientation, drug use, race/ethnicity, or sex work. On top of this, internalized stigma is prevalent in people living with HIV, as they may have negative feelings or thoughts based on their status. About 80% of people receiving care for HIV reported feeling internalized stigma.³ Depression, anxiety, isolation, and feelings of shame are all results of this.

Read the full article on the AJMC website.

HIV, News and Information, Research

40 years later, the Pitt Men’s Study is still breaking ground in the fight against AIDS

December 20, 2024 administrator Leave a comment

From the Universtiy of Pittsburgh’s Pittwire…

In 1984, Charles Rinaldo launched a study to learn more about a mysterious illness befalling gay men across the U.S. He was 37 years old, only 6 years into his appointment as an assistant professor in the Pitt School of Medicine and School of Public Health, when he put the University on the map for groundbreaking AIDS research.

Newspaper headlines from the early days of the AIDS epidemic and the Pitt Men's Study. — Newspaper headlines from the early days of the AIDS epidemic and the Pitt Men’s Study.

With the backing of a $4.2 million, four-year National Institutes of Health (NIH) contract, Rinaldo set out to recruit several thousands of gay men in the Pittsburgh tristate area to donate blood and other clinical specimens. It was the beginning of the Pitt Men’s Study, which aimed to uncover the process by which a virus leads to AIDS and the development of the disease post-diagnosis.

The Pitt Men’s Study recently commemorated 40 years of trailblazing research, including contributions to more than 1,700 scientific articles. The study is behind breakthroughs in understanding the transmission and treatment of HIV and AIDS and continues to impact the lives and careers of study participants and scientists alike.

Read the full article on Pittwire.

Health Alerts, Research, STIs

CDC Releases 2023 STI Surveillance Report

November 14, 2024 administrator Leave a comment

From HIV.gov…

After several years of increases, the data suggest that the STI epidemic may be slowing. We still have much more work to do, but the 2023 data are promising in several aspects:

Gonorrhea dropped for a second year—declining 7% from 2022 and falling below pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels.
Overall, syphilis increased by only 1% after years of double-digit increases.
Primary and secondary syphilis cases, the most infectious stages of syphilis, went down 10%—the first substantial decline in more than two decades. These cases also dropped 13% among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex men for the first time since CDC began reporting national trends among this group in the mid-2000s.
Increases in congenital syphilis cases appear to be slowing in some areas—with a 3% increase over 2022 nationally, compared to 30% annual increases in prior years.

These signs of hope hint at what’s possible when the nation prioritizes – and invests in – STI prevention. The data arrive on the heels of important innovations such as doxy PEP to prevent bacterial STIs and self-tests (or at-home tests); a nationally coordinated response to the U.S. syphilis epidemic spearheaded by the National Syphilis and Congenital Syphilis Syndemic Task Force; and the unprecedented – but temporary – infusion of funding into health department disease intervention specialist programs (PDF, 1.03MB).

Read more on HIV.gov. You can read a summary of the Srveillance Report here.

HIV, HIV care, Research

The Needs of Older People With HIV Are Going Unmet

October 9, 2024 administrator Leave a comment

From POZ.com…

The needs of older people living with HIV are going unmet, and the United States is unlikely to reach five goals for improving quality of life for those ages 50 and older by 2025, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) analysis published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Thanks to effective treatment, people with HIV in the United States are living longer, and more than half are now ages 50 and older. Like the general population, HIV-positive people are more prone to comorbidities as they age, and they may face challenges such as cognitive decline, reduced mobility and financial instability. Needs may also change as people transition to Medicare.

The U.S. National HIV/AIDS Strategy has set goals for improving the quality of life of people with HIV by 2025, with indicators for self-rated health, unmet need for mental health services, unemployment, hunger or food insecurity and unstable housing or homelessness. These indicators were adopted in late 2022, leaving less than two years to implement changes.

Linda Beer, PhD, of the CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, and colleagues assessed progress toward these goals specifically for older individuals living with HIV. They analyzed data collected through the CDC’s Medical Monitoring Project, an annual survey of a sample of U.S. adults diagnosed with HIV. Data were obtained from interviews and medical records, and progress was evaluated both overall and by age group. Nearly 13,500 people ages 50 and older participated between 2017 and 2022.

Read the full article.

HIV, HIV Housing, Research

Issue Brief: The Role of Housing in Ending the HIV Epidemic

August 12, 2024 administrator Leave a comment

A CDC Issue Brief:

Powerful HIV prevention and treatment tools help keep people healthy and prevent HIV transmission, but nonmedical factors, known as social determinants of health, also influence HIV-related health outcomes. Social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age, and the broader set of forces and systems that shape conditions of daily life. Housing acts as a social determinant of health; research tells us that where someone lives influences their health and wellbeing, and that stable housing is associated with better health outcomes.

You can read the full brief and download a pdf here.