# Complications and Restoration of Functional Mobility and Balance Impairment in NADCs (HIV/AIDS/Aging/Cancer)

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2022 · $251,013

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Non–AIDS-defining cancers (NADC) are increasing rapidly and constitute the majority of cancers 
diagnosed in people living with HIV (PLWH). Accelerated aging in HIV and cancer lead to compromised 
skeletal muscle, which contribute to poor functional mobility and culminates in frailty and comorbidity. Frailty
and balance impairment are common in patients with cancer and in PLWH. The insult to balance in the setting
of a NADC diagnosis in conjunction with HIV infection, is very likely compounded, leading to greater frailty 
outcomes compared to PLWH as well as increased risk for fracture. 
Balance deficits impose limitations and can impede safe walking contributing to falls and falls-related 
complications. Our pilot data indicate that PLWH have highly impaired standing balance that is associated with 
inefficient weight transfer and an inability to regulate balance leading to greater fall risk. This study will use new 
quantitative methodologies including state-of-art technologies and engineering models to quantify functional 
balance, both the static and dynamic domains beyond established clinical assessment battery. These 
biomechanical indices may help predict frailty precursors to better understand how cancer, HIV infection and 
aging exacerbate each other, and could potentially inform management of mobility disorders in this patient 
population.
Interventions to improve key aspects of balance control are likely to favorably impact safe functional 
mobility while performing everyday activities. A primary question at this juncture in our knowledge is whether a 
multi-component balance program can improve functional independence in those aging with NADC through 
attenuating the disabling consequences of frailty, which will inform future evidence-based multi-component
interventions.
This is an administrative supplement for P30 Cancer Centers Support Grants (CCSG) to stimulate research 
in NADCs in Aging Populations under a High Priority topic of research. Our overall objective is to 
comprehensively assess and compare balance and mobility in older NADC to older PLWH without NADC of 
similar socioeconomic background and to test the feasibility of a resistance and balance training program to 
improve balance, strength and physical activity. The proposed research has significant public health impact 
and will provide critical pilot data for a larger randomized controlled trial. Improvement of strength and postural 
stability is a significant and novel area of investigation in NADC.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10617574
- **Project number:** 3P30CA134274-15S2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** KEVIN J. CULLEN
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $251,013
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2008-08-08 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10617574

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10617574, Complications and Restoration of Functional Mobility and Balance Impairment in NADCs (HIV/AIDS/Aging/Cancer) (3P30CA134274-15S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10617574. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*