HIV/AIDS Research
The HIV/AIDS Program at Lurie Children's is Chicago’s leader in providing patients with the opportunity to enroll in pediatric or adolescent HIV/AIDS clinical research studies sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Clinical trials are studies to develop, produce and evaluate the effectiveness of new treatments and therapies for diseases. Our program offers patients access to the latest medication and treatment available. This research will continue to:
- Advance the standards of HIV care
- Improve the quality of life for HIV-infected patients
- Reduce new infection rates
Currently, the program has more than 185 patients enrolled in government-sponsored clinical trials. It is one of the top rated pediatric HIV research sites in the country. Learn more about the hospital’s clinical trials related to HIV/AIDS.
In addition, the HIV/AIDS Program participates in numerous pharmaceutical companies' clinical research studies that strive to improve medication alternatives for HIV patients. These studies allow our patients access to cutting-edge research and medications that are designed to improve their quality of life until effective vaccines and a cure are found.
Current research at Lurie Children's involves:
- Working with immune modulators that focus on boosting the body's immune response
- Investigating the response to routine vaccination in patients with HIV to achieve a better response
- Designing potent and easily managed treatment regimens to decrease the rate of opportunistic infections
- Changing the factors involved in transmission of HIV between mother and infant (vertical transmission of HIV)
- Modulating treatment regimens and diet to facilitate normal cognitive (mental) and physiological (body weight and size) growth