NHLBI HIV/AIDS Program

Tremendous progress in the treatment of HIV has led to increased survival and a dramatic evolution in the understanding of the disease. Trends over the past decades reveal that overall, individuals are living longer with HIV. As a result, the challenges have now shifted from acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS—the most advanced stage of the HIV infection—to other chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease (CHD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), and chronic anemia. Multiple studies have shown that people living with HIV have a significantly higher risk of developing heart, lung, and blood conditions and that these conditions may develop earlier in people with HIV compared to the general population.

The NHLBI HIV/AIDS Program has funded a wide range of HIV-related heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders research, including the following:

• Centers for AIDS Research to provide expertise and resources for high-quality, multidisciplinary AIDS research
• Beyond HAART: Innovative Approaches to Cure HIV-1 to develop cell and gene therapies, including hematopoietic stem cell transplants, as well as nontraditional antiviral strategies to cure HIV-1, the most widespread type of HIV
• HIV-CVD Collaborative to research mechanisms and possible therapies for HIV-related cardiovascular diseases
• Implementation Research to Develop Interventions for People Living with HIV (PRECluDE) to speed the delivery of effective interventions in community and clinical settings for HLBS conditions that affect people living with HIV
• Investigating HIV-Associated Lung Disease (INHALD) network to better understand the cellular and molecular events underlying HIV-associated lung diseases. The NHLBI funded eight clinical sites across the nation and one data-coordinating center to form the network.
• Lung HIV Microbiome Project (LHMP) to assess the lung microbiome in people who have and do not have HIV. People who have HIV are at high risk for developing pneumonia and have reduced lung function after pneumonia—an aftereffect not seen in people who do not have HIV.
• Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS)/Women’s Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) Combined Cohort Study (MACS/WIHS-CSS) to advance HIV science and reduce the impact of chronic health conditions that affect people living with HIV
• Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) to assess the safety of HIV treatment in children
• Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV (REPRIEVE) study to inform clinical approaches to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people living with HIV

View funding information for the NHLBI HIV/AIDS Program.

The NHLBI encourages researchers to utilize existing NIH clinical/observational cohorts, biological specimens, databases (such as dbGaP), or imaging banks whenever possible for HIV-related heart, lung, blood, and sleep disorders research. Investigators interested in utilizing data and stored samples from NHLBI studies can submit a request through the NHLBI Biologic Specimen and Data Repository Information Coordinating Center (BioLINCC). In addition, the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study Data Analysis and Coordinating Center (DACC) handles requests for data and biospecimens related to the Combined Cohort Study.

The following are HIV/AIDS research resources that the NIH Office of AIDS Research provides.

• Strategic Plan for Trans-NIH Plan for HIV-Related Research
• NIH HIV/AIDS Online Resources
• NIH HIV/AIDS Research Funding Priorities and Guidelines

This trans-NHLBI program funds innovative research that responds to the evolving challenges of HIV. The NHLBI HIV/AIDS Team coordinates all HIV-related research in heart, lung, blood and sleep, including translation research and implementation science. The NHLBI held two working group meetings, one in 2012 and one in 2015, to identify research priorities. The Institute has since developed various initiatives to support research targeting HIV-related priorities.

Contact information for NHLBI HIV/AIDS Program team members is available in the areas of heart, lung, blood, and sleep research; biostatistics; clinical research; translation research; implementation science; and grant management.