# The East Africa Consortium for HPV and Cervical Cancer in Women living with HIV/AIDS

> **NIH NIH U54** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2022 · $923,800

## Abstract

Overall Abstract
Sub-Saharan Africa contains 70% of the world’s diagnosed cases of HIV/AIDS, with both Uganda and Kenya at
its epicenter (12% and 7% prevalence, respectively). Within East Africa, cervical cancer remains one of the most
common malignancies in women. HIV is a contributing factor for cervical carcinogenesis with HIV-infected
women having a greater incidence and persistence of human papilloma virus (HPV) infections, cervical cancer,
and precancerous cervical lesions. In contrast to other HIV-associated cancers, the incidence of cervical cancer
has not declined in the era of antiretroviral therapy.
The core objective of this application is to better elucidate the natural history of HPV infection and cervical cancer
in HIV-infected women, including the cofactors involved in carcinogenesis, the persistence and progression of
cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) after LEEP, and to identify new viral and cellular biomarkers that will assist
in screening, triage and treatment.
Our central hypothesis is that the incidence, persistence, and spectrum of high risk (HR) HPV are substantially
greater in HIV-infected East African women, and that this explains the higher incidence of cervical neoplasia.
We further hypothesize that these and other modifiable factors, such as aflatoxin ingestion, disproportionately
and adversely influence outcomes of local therapies such as Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP)
in HIV-infected women.
The specific aims for the East Africa Consortium for HPV and Cervical Cancer (EACHC) in Women Living with
HIV/AIDS are:
Specific Aim 1. To establish a sustainable research infrastructure for an international partnership to conduct
impactful research in HPV and cervical cancer in women living with HIV/AIDS
Specific Aim 2. To design and execute three integrated projects that advance the knowledge of the
environmental and biologic factors leading to cervical cancer in East Africa:
 Project 1- Preventing cervical cancer in HIV-infected women
 Project 2- Understanding CIN2+ among HIV infected women after LEEP: An epidemiological and
 immunohistochemical study
 Project 3- Determining biological and viral factors associated with clinical progression of cervical dysplasia
 in HIV-infected women
Specific Aim 3. To increase the research workforce capacity in East Africa through mentoring, training programs
and targeted pilot projects

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10477359
- **Project number:** 5U54CA254518-03
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** DARRON R BROWN
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $923,800
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-07 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10477359

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10477359, The East Africa Consortium for HPV and Cervical Cancer in Women living with HIV/AIDS (5U54CA254518-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10477359. Licensed CC0.

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