Research
The Children’s Hospital Immunodeficiency Program (CHIP) has been involved in HIV-related clinical research for over 20 years. Our dedicated nurse practitioners, study coordinators and research assistants conduct dozens of research studies each year and are committed to providing exemplary care and attention to our research participants.
What Is Clinical Research?
Clinical research includes:
- Medical and behavioral research directly involving volunteer participants
- Carefully developed and conducted investigations (called clinical trials) that aim to uncover better ways to treat, prevent, diagnose and understand human disease
- Trials that test new treatments and therapies
Clinical research adheres to:
- Strict scientific guidelines
- Ethical principles to protect participants
Why Is Research Important?
Research is important because:
- Clinical trials test how well new approaches and interventions work in people
- Each study answers scientific questions
- Each study helps scientists prevent, screen for, diagnose, manage, and treat disease
What are some types of clinical trials?
| Treatment | Test new treatments or new combinations of drugs |
| Prevention | Look for better ways to prevent a disease in people who have never had the disease. Approaches may include vaccines, lifestyle changes or preventative medicines |
| Diagnostic | Determine better tests or procedures for diagnosing a particular disease or condition |
| Screening | Test the best way to detect certain diseases or health conditions |
| Quality of Life (or Supportive Care) | Explore and measure ways to improve the comfort and quality of life of people with a chronic illness |
Examples of research we conduct at CHIP*
- Studies for pregnant women and their infants
- P1026: This study has 3 different arms – 1) measures whether HIV medicine levels in your blood change during pregnancy, 2) looks at if/how HIV medicines are affected by TB medicines taken at the same time, and 3) if/how hormonal birth control interacts with HIV medicines when taken together after delivery
- SMARTT: This study aims to learn more about if and how being exposed to HIV drugs during pregnancy affects children as they grow and develop
- Studies for patients who have never received HIV treatment (treatment naïve)
- P1081: This study looks at how well 3 different HIV medications work to lower HIV in the blood of pregnant women who start medication during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy through 6 months post-delivery
- 292: This study has 2 purposes – 1) to measure how much HIV medication is in the blood at different time points and what the body does with the drug (this is called a PK study) and 2) to see if this new single tablet HIV medication works to lower levels of HIV in the blood. This study is for adolescents age 12-17.
- Other studies (both treatment and behavioral)
- A5279: This study compares the effectiveness of tuberculosis treatment in combination with HIV medications in HIV positive adolescents and adults
- P1063: This study investigates the safety and effectiveness of Lipitor in HIV-positive children, adolescents and young adults who have increased LDL cholesterol
- ATN 110/113: A study of young HIV-negative MSM that looks at using a once-a-day medication as a way to prevent HIV infection. This is known as “PrEP”
- ATN 112: This study looks at using a daily diary via phone or web to help participants identify situations that may make them more or less likely to participate in high-risk behaviors such as drugs and alcohol, unsafe sex, or not taking HIV meds as prescribed
- P1058A: This study measures levels of certain HIV medications in the blood (PK study)
*This is not a complete list of the studies we are currently enrolling. Additionally, there are new studies opening on a regular basis. To find out if clinical research is right for you or for more information about all of our current research studies, contact the CHIP research team at [email protected]