# HIV-Associated Lung Disease: The Role of Nasal Mucosal Immunity and Microbiome

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2024 · $648,939

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
People living with HIV (PLWH) are at heightened risk for chronic lung diseases. The mechanisms underlying this
risk are poorly understood. Viral infections are major causes of acute respiratory events including pneumonia as
well as asthma and COPD exacerbations, all of which can increase the risk of chronic lung impairments. The
nasal mucosal “secretome”, composed of cytokines/chemokines and other soluble mediators, limits the initial
spread of viral infections through controlling viral entry, releasing cytokines/chemokines, as well as numerous
immune modulating mediators. The nasal microbiome, including bacterial microbiome and fungal mycobiome, is
a critical component of the respiratory immune system, acting as a barrier against harmful pathogens Our
research group has established approaches to rigorously characterize and quantify the nasal mucosal secretome
and microbiome. Our overall objective is to determine nasal mucosal immune and microbiome alterations and
clinical implications associated with these changes among PLWH compared to seronegative individuals. We
hypothesize that alteration of the nasal mucosal milieu among PLWH is associated with adverse pulmonary
outcomes. We will characterize the nasal immune environment (Aim 1) and microbiome (Aim 2) of PLWH
compared to seronegative individuals. Through longitudinal assessments embedded in these Aims we will define
the variability in these measures. We will then define nasal mucosal endotypes associated with pulmonary
consequences among PLWH compared with seronegative MWCCS participants (Aim 3). Successful completion
of these aims will lead to a rigorous characterization of the nasal mucosal and microbiome changes among
PLWH, identifying potential endotypes associated with adverse pulmonary outcomes in this population. These
results will provide valuable insights to guide therapeutic strategies and interventions to modify nasal mucosal
inflammation and nasal microbiome and its associated complications in this vulnerable population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11008374
- **Project number:** 1R01HL176283-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Bradley Drummond
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $648,939
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-15 → 2029-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11008374

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11008374, HIV-Associated Lung Disease: The Role of Nasal Mucosal Immunity and Microbiome (1R01HL176283-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11008374. Licensed CC0.

---

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