Ronald J. Ellis
University of California-San Diego, CA·Medicine & Clinical Research
People with HIV whose virus is well controlled by antiretroviral therapy (ART) still often have chronic inflammation, including in the brain. One likely source is the gut.
- Fields
Medicine & Clinical Research
Microbiology & Immunology
Neuroscience
- Topics
people with HIV
neuroinflammation
blood-brain barrier
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Mar 2027
What they work on
- Characterize how gut bacteria and the endocannabinoid system respond to controlled oral THC and CBD in people with and without HIV, using shotgun metagenomic sequencing of stool.
- Profile innate, T-cell and B-cell inflammation in blood and cerebrospinal fluid during a randomized crossover trial of 14 days each of THC and CBD in 50 people with HIV and 50 without.
- Test whether cannabinoid effects on brain inflammation and blood-brain barrier function work through changes in the endocannabinoid system, gut microbiota and gut barrier (leaky gut).
More about the research
ART does not fully repair the loss of gut immune cells, the imbalance of gut bacteria (dysbiosis), or a weakened gut lining ("leaky gut"). Through a leaky gut, bacterial products can enter the blood and inflame the body and the central nervous system (CNS). The endocannabinoid system (ECS), the body's own cannabis-like signaling system, works with gut microbes to regulate how leaky the gut lining is. This raises the question of whether cannabis compounds could help.
Why it matters
Even with effective antiretroviral therapy, people with HIV often have ongoing gut damage that may fuel inflammation in the brain and weaken the blood-brain barrier. This trial will test whether controlled doses of THC or CBD may reduce inflammation and improve gut function. The results could inform whether specific cannabis compounds could have therapeutic value for HIV-related neuroinflammation.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Brandilyn Peters
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY·Public Health & Epidemiology
Determine how 12 weeks of transdermal estradiol, with or without progesterone, changes the gut microbiome of women with HIV in the randomized HoT trial, using shotgun metagenomic sequencing of stool samples.
Mandakh Bekhbat
Emory University, GA·Neuroscience·Early-career
Measure glycolysis, a fast sugar-burning energy pathway, in blood monocytes from people with HIV, and relate it to inflammation, reward-circuit function and anhedonia.
Anna Salazar
Christopher Newport University, VA·Biology
Test whether age-related breakdown of the gut barrier drives aging changes in the brain and muscle, using fruit flies with reduced levels of the gut seal protein Snakeskin.
The school
University of California-San Diego: 84 labs on PI Pages, $1.9B a year on research, 637 research doctorates a year.
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