Federal Grant Award Summary

Drexel University received a $684,123 Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to support a cross-model investigation examining the role of inflammasomes in the neurobehavioral and transcriptomic effects of cocaine exposure and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The award, dated March 15, 2026, with an ultimate completion date of December 31, 2030, funds basic and translational research to develop new knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying the interaction between cocaine use disorder and HIV infection in the central nervous system. The research specifically focuses on how inflammasome activation—particularly the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome—and associated neuroinflammatory pathways are modulated by dopaminergic dysregulation resulting from both cocaine exposure and HIV infection, with particular emphasis on mitochondrial dysregulation as a potential mechanistic link.

This research addresses a significant clinical knowledge gap by investigating why individuals living with HIV who use cocaine experience exacerbated neurocognitive deficits and behavioral complications compared to those with either condition alone. The project aims to characterize the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying these combined effects to inform the development of targeted therapeutic strategies for comorbid cocaine use disorder and HIV infection. Research activities are conducted at Drexel University's facility in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and are expected to generate scientific publications, transcriptomic data, and mechanistic insights contributing to NIDA's mission of supporting translational research addressing substance use and related comorbid health conditions.