Funding News - Research on HIV-1 Infection of the Central Nervous System Sought

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) invite grant applications for basic and clinical research on HIV-1 infection of the central nervous system (CNS).

During the last 15 years research on HIV-1 infection has significantly improved understanding of the neurological and neuropsychiatric complications associated with AIDS. However, there are many fundamental gaps in the knowledge of HIV-1 entry into the brain, establishment of viral reservoirs, and reseeding of systemic compartments. These issues are particularly relevant since potent anti-retroviral therapy does not penetrate the blood-brain barrier and may not be effective in eliminating CNS reservoirs. Drug-resistant viral reservoirs in the CNS may be important not only in reseeding of systemic compartments, but also may contribute to the worsening of neurological disease in long-term AIDS survivors. Therefore it is essential to develop an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of HIV infection of the brain using novel approaches and technologies.

Potential areas of research interest include studies on: the establishment of CNS viral reservoirs; reseeding of the peripheral compartment from the CNS; the role of CNS viral load in contributing to neurological and neuropsychiatric dysfunction; HIV-induced CNS degeneration and dysfunction using novel imaging techniques; development of HIV-1 therapeutic agents capable of penetrating the blood-brain barrier; the co-modulation of neural processes and related biological systems by HIV-1 and other neurotoxins; and the role of opportunistic infections in neurobehavioral and neurological complications of HIV infection.

For more information, potential applicants should contact Dr. A.P. Kerza-Kwiatecki, Neural Environment Cluster, NINDS, Neuroscience Center, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 2115, Bethesda, MD 20892; telephone: (301) 496-1431; fax: (301) 402-2060; e-mail: ak45w@nih.gov.

For a more detailed description of this program announcement, please visit the NIH web site at: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-01-072.html.