We are pleased to announce that Cristian Apetrei, MD, PhD, Co-PI, has been awarded funding in the amount of $3,146,215 for a five-year grant renewal by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH/NIDDK) entitled “Assessing the Role of GI Tract Dysfunction to HIV/SIV Disease Progression.”This proposal was submitted in response to the funding opportunity entitled “NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) under funding opportunity number PA- 20-185 scoring 2% upon the first submission.

This competitive renewal will assess the role of microbiome in inducing intestinal dysfunction and progression to AIDS in people living with HIV (PWH). Enteropathy is characteristic to HIV/SIV infection and was described early in the pandemic, but a direct causative relationship between GI dysfunction and HIV/SIV disease progression has yet to be established. Natural hosts of SIVs (i.e., African green monkeys, AGMs) are ideal for dissecting the relative contribution of the different potential mechanisms resulting in mucosal dysfunction, because they maintain mucosal integrity throughout infection in spite of high levels of viral replication. The research design encompasses a set of interventions in the AGMs to induce dysbiosis, mucosal damage and/or impact liver clearance of the translocated microbes and thus dissect the mechanisms that may impact GI integrity and disease progression in HIV infection.

This research will directly assess the contribution of GI dysfunction to HIV disease progression and the contribution of microbiome in driving gut dysfunction. This study is highly significant in clinical settings and will establish the impact of antibiotic-induced dysbiosis in PWH who consume alcohol excessively. Results of this research will inform future therapeutic and behavioral strategies aimed at preserving gut integrity and avoiding disease progression, reducing related comorbidities, improving quality of life and survival in people living with HIV.

Please join us in congratulating Cris!