# Omics analysis of HIV during synthetic opioid exposure

> **NIH NIH R61** · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · 2020 · $150,215

## Abstract

Abstract
In December 2019, an outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause occurred in Wuhan, China, and the
causative agent was identified as a novel coronavirus named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus
2 (SARS-CoV-2). Additionally, the US is in the midst of a major opioid epidemic largely attributed to synthetic
opioids such as fentanyl, and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is occurring in parts of the world where recent
increases in HIV due to the opioid crisis have been reported. With the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, there are
major concerns about worsening of the opioid crisis. People suffering from addiction are particularly
vulnerable to increased infection with SARS-CoV-2 and more advanced disease severity. Many opioids are
also associated with immune suppression and enhanced viral pathogenesis. Thus, foundational research on
virus-virus and virus-opioid interactions is essential for understanding the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on other co-
morbid conditions and for developing robust therapeutic options for limiting viral infection and pathogenesis in
high-risk populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10158901
- **Project number:** 3R61DA048439-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
- **Principal Investigator:** JASON T BLACKARD
- **Activity code:** R61 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $150,215
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-03-01 → 2021-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10158901

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10158901, Omics analysis of HIV during synthetic opioid exposure (3R61DA048439-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10158901. Licensed CC0.

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