The Campbell Foundation
Helping Make HIV/AIDS History Since 1995
Campbell Foundation Awards $100K Grant for CAR-T Cell Therapy Research Targeting HIV Cure
Fort Lauderdale, FL -- August 18, 2025 -- The Campbell Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to advance research into enhancing CAR-T cell therapy effectiveness using metabolic modulators, as part of ongoing efforts toward a potential HIV cure.
The grant supports Dr. Wenli Mu of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for the project "Improving CAR-T Mitochondrial Function & Persistence for HIV Cure Using Metabolic Modulators," which focuses on improving the longevity and function of engineered immune cells by targeting mitochondrial health.
Dr. Wenli Mu
The research will investigate the use of Urolithin A -- a naturally occurring compound known to support mitochondrial function -- to reduce cellular stress and improve the persistence of CAR-T cells in chronic HIV infection.
“By enhancing the metabolic fitness of CAR-T cells, we hope to create a more durable and effective therapy that can contribute meaningfully to HIV cure strategies,” said Dr. Mu, a senior project scientist at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.
The goal is to create an innovative therapy that can better control HIV replication and contribute to strategies for curing the virus.
The research will be conducted using humanized mouse models of HIV infection to translate findings into clinical applications.
“Our Peer Review Board found Dr. Mu’s request for funding to be a ‘strong and well-written proposal from a promising early-career researcher,’” said The Campbell Foundation’s Executive Director Ken Rapkin. “We believe the study has a strong likelihood of success and will provide preliminary data to support future proposals.”
Dr. Mu has published six first-author papers in the past three years and has played a key role in NIH- and CIRM-funded HIV cure initiatives totaling more than $20 million. His work continues to push the boundaries of stem cell-based immunotherapy and HIV pathogenesis research.
About The Campbell Foundation
The Campbell Foundation was established in 1995 by the late Richard Campbell Zahn as a private, independent, nonprofit foundation dedicated to supporting clinical, laboratory-based research into the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. It focuses its funding on supporting alternative, nontraditional avenues of research. As The Campbell Foundation celebrates its 30th year, it has given away more than $12 million dollars, with more than $1.5 million going to direct services.