University receives grants to study link between HIV, marijuana and the immune system in teens

Officials from the University of Florida recently received a grant to study the effect of marijuana on the immune system of HIV-positive teens, the school's news website reports.

The school will receive a $4.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how marijuana use and HIV infection could potentially lead to neurological disorders in teens.

According to the school's news website, the five-year study will seek to identify the blood-based biomarkers for tracking how substance abuse might change how the immune system functions and the progression of HIV infection in the nervous system. Researchers told the school's news website that this might also result in evidence to support behavioral guidelines for adolescents who suffer from HIV.

Researchers added that movement and cognitive problems are common among people who are HIV-positive, which could cause many teens to deal with impaired mental function and behavior throughout their lives. They added that marijuana and other drugs can have negative neurological effects with the disease. However, this study will attempt to determine how cannabinoids, which are found in marijuana, are linked with suppression of the immune system.

A 2006 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that in the 33 states reporting, an estimated 5,259 individuals between ages 13 and 24 were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.