Federal Grant Award Summary

George Mason University received a $710,029 Project Grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) awarded on May 15, 2026, with a completion date of February 28, 2031. The award supports a research initiative investigating the combined impacts of HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) infection and nicotine addiction on T cell neuroinvasion and HIV central nervous system (CNS) reservoir seeding. The research addresses a critical public health gap, as 30-60% of people living with HIV develop HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) despite successful antiretroviral therapy, with nicotine potentially accelerating disease progression by facilitating the migration of infected CD4 T cells across the blood-brain barrier.

The funded research comprises three integrated aims designed to elucidate the mechanisms of nicotine-enhanced HIV neuroinvasion. Aim 1 investigates how HIV infection promotes chemotactic signaling in CD4 T cell neuroinvasion using in vitro blood-brain barrier transmigration assays. Aim 2 assesses chronic nicotine's effects on HIV CD4 T cell proliferation and pro-inflammatory responses by examining nicotinic acetylcholine receptor expression and activation of chemotactic signaling pathways. Aim 3 evaluates the combined effects of chronic nicotine and HIV infection on CD4 T cell behavior using an HIV humanized mouse model, with monitoring of inflammatory cytokines, viral reservoirs, and neuroinvasion in susceptible brain regions. The research team brings complementary expertise in HIV signaling, nicotine research, T cell immunology, and drug abuse animal models to support a comprehensive investigation of the interplay between HIV and nicotine addiction in neuroinvasion.