Federal Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) awarded the University of California, San Diego a $1.5 million Project Grant under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) to conduct translational and cross-species research examining the effects of cannabis use on mitochondrial function in people with HIV (PWH). The award, effective June 1, 2026, through April 30, 2031, supports an integrated research program combining clinical observation with preclinical modeling to investigate whether cannabis use patterns—specifically moderate versus chronic daily use—differentially impact mitochondrial homeostasis in brain macrophages through triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells (TREM2)-mediated mechanisms. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding central nervous system complications in PWH despite antiretroviral therapy, with particular emphasis on age-related neuropathogenesis in the aging PWH population (average age >55 years).

The grant funds a multidisciplinary research approach incorporating three complementary components: a clinical observational cohort study of aged PWH (>50 years) stratified across cannabis use patterns from naive to daily users; personalized ex vivo and in vitro modeling of mitochondrial toxicity in brain macrophages and neurons; and preclinical mouse models including an HIV-induced neurotoxicity model and a TREM2 variant model associated with age-related neuropathogenesis. Research outputs will include biomarker measurements from plasma and cerebrospinal fluid reflecting mitochondrial homeostasis and TREM2 function, advancing understanding of cannabis's potential protective or deleterious effects on HIV-associated neurological complications.