# Intersection of HIV, Opiods, and Amyloid Fibrils in a CNS Organoid Model

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $325,549

## Abstract

PROJECT ABSTRACT
HIV-1 infection is involved in many pathogenic processes in the body. While immunodeficiency and opportunistic
infections represent the end-point of the disease process, significant co-morbidity occurs with CNS involvement
resulting in neurocognitive decline and loss of quality of life. These are difficult problems to study either in people
living with HIV-1 or in model systems. However, advances in the development if iPSC lines and in their
differentiation into specific cell types and even multi-cell lineage organoids provide new opportunities to study
the effects of insults to the cell types found in the brain in the cell culture setting. There are ongoing, concurrent
epidemics of HIV-1, opioids, and amyloid fibril disease that all provide insults to the brain. HIV-1 infection often
includes the use of suppressive therapy with questions of CNS penetration and viral latency. In addition, HIV-1
leads to a heightened state of inflammation, another toxic insult to the brain. HIV-1 infection and/or opioid use
occur in a background of natural aging which often includes the subclinical deposition of amyloid fibrils. In this
application we will look at the intersection of these phenomena as they affect HIV-1 infection and latency and
also impact normal cell function. We will focus individually on microglia, astrocytes, and neurons then use the
information obtained from the individual cells to study their interactions in organoids. This application brings
together a team with expertise in neuroHIV, transcription analysis, opioid and HIV-1 interactions, organoids, and
fibril disease. This interdisciplinary approach will allow us to exploit the CNS organoid model to develop new
information that can ultimately be validated in whole organism studies in the future.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10055342
- **Project number:** 1R01DA051890-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** SARAH BETH JOSEPH
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $325,549
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10055342

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10055342, Intersection of HIV, Opiods, and Amyloid Fibrils in a CNS Organoid Model (1R01DA051890-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10055342. Licensed CC0.

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