Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) awarded $446,875 to the University of Pennsylvania on July 16, 2026, under the Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research program (CFDA 93.855) to advance acceptability and ethical readiness for innovative HIV cell and gene therapies in the United States. The project, which will be completed by June 30, 2028, addresses critical gaps in the implementation of cell and gene therapy (CGT) approaches—including chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, and genetically modified hematopoietic stem cells—that hold potential for achieving durable, antiretroviral therapy-free viral suppression in people with HIV.

The primary deliverables include research and analysis on how people with HIV perceive the risks, benefits, and acceptability of CGT-based interventions; examination of how affected populations and research staff navigate the complexities of CGT trial implementation; and generation of real-world community perspective data to inform the design of person-centered clinical trials. This project directly supports the advancement of potential HIV cure research currently in clinical trials, with implications for improving treatment outcomes and quality of life for the 1.2 million Americans living with HIV while reducing the substantial clinical and economic burden of lifelong antiretroviral therapy.