Effects of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabinol on the Microbiome, Endocannabinoids, and Neuroinflammation in HIV
University of California, San Diego
Summary
This study has the potential to contribute to a more complete understanding of the independent and combined effects of cannabis use and HIV on the brain and on inflammation. Such knowledge may inform future strategies for treating brain disease and inflammation. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups, both of which will receive the same treatment in a different order over a period of about 6 weeks. The visits include physical examinations, blood tests, and other procedures designed to monitor subject safety and measure the effects of the study drug.
Description
This project will characterize the microbiome and endocannabinoid system (ECS) in people with HIV (PWH) and how they relate to neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier (BBB) function. The study hypothesizes that pathogenic alterations in the gut microbiota (dysbiosis) and impaired gut barrier integrity (leaky gut) are mediators between the ECS, neuroinflammation and BBB dysfunction in HIV. The major goals are to (1) characterize the gut microbiota and ECS in response to exogenous cannabinoid exposure in both PWH and people without HIV (PWoH); (2) characterize patterns of HIV-associated inflam…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 21–70 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
1. Aged 21 to 70 years old 2. Possess the capacity to provide informed consent to a set of neuromedical assessment procedures. 3. Experience with cannabis use at least once in the past 5 years without major adverse effects (e.g., psychosis, syncope) 4. No or low cannabis use in the past 2 weeks, defined as no cannabis exposure or use or use limited to only once in the past 2 weeks. 5. Willing to abstain from use of cannabis, CBD, THC, or synthetic cannabinoids outside the study during the 6-week intervention 6. Individuals with HIV must meet the following criteria 1. Virally suppressed on…
Interventions
- DrugTHC
THC capsule
- DrugCBD
oral solution
Location
- HIV Neurobehavioral Research Program (HNRP)San Diego, California