A new study from MISTRAL shows connections between gut bacteria and brain health in people living with HIV. The study has been developed in the framework of the BCN02 clinical trial and suggests that certain intestinal microbes and the compounds they produce may be linked to changes in brain functioning.
Researchers analyzed data from the BCN02 clinical trial, which aimed to evaluate whether a combination of a therapeutic HIV vaccine and the drug romidepsin could unmask hidden virus and train the immune system to control it without daily medication.
In this new research paper, researchers looked beyond HIV itself. They examined stool samples from participants in the BCN02 trial to study gut bacteria, blood samples to measure metabolic by-products, and a range of brain scans along with cognitive, quality of life, emotional, and functional tests. Their findings show that people with signs of neurocognitive impairment tended to have higher levels of specific gut bacteria, including Desulfovibrio desulfuricans, Sutterella wadsworthensis, and Streptococcus thermophilus, previously described in other neurocognitive disorders. These same participants also showed increased activity in a bacterial function called the 1,2-propanediol degradation pathway and associations with metabolites linked to lipid metabolism in the blood already associated with brain function.
While the study does not prove cause and effect, and the direct impact of the vaccine-drug combination remains unclear, it strengthens growing evidence that the gut and brain are closely connected in people living with HIV. Researchers hope that these findings could help identify novel biomarkers for future studies and, finally, find new strategies for protecting brain health in this population.
