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UCLA Vine Street Clinic

The UCLA Vine Street Clinic (UVSC) was established in 2005 in order to study the diffusion of HIV among methamphetamine user networks. Since that time, it has served as a site for clinical trials, behavioral research, and direct services focusing on the treatment of addiction, HIV prevention, and the intersection of the two. It is unique in its location, bringing the best in academia from UCLA into a transitional neighborhood of predominately working poor, an area designated as a medically underserved. The facility includes exam and counseling rooms for patient care and a lab for collection and storage of biological samples. Current projects on-going at the clinic are detailed below.

For more information and directions, or to schedule an appointment, call us at (323) 461-3106(Link opens phone app) or email us at uclavsc@mednet.ucla.edu.

Our Current Programs Include:

: RELEVANCE: People who benefit from HIV and STI prevention options, such as PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), now have a choice of several biomedical prevention tools. However, PrEP uptake remains is lowest in groups experiencing a disproportionate impact of HIV, including Latino/e/x MSM and youth. More tools are needed to improve uptake and adherence of PrEP in this population.
DESCRIPTION: This is a multi-site, two part study. Part one (HPTN 113-01), includes focus groups where participants will engage in discussions to review mobile health tools and handouts (known collectively as the 3P mHealth package) that will be utlizied in the main study. Part two, (HPTN 113), is an individual-level randomized, open-label trial with participants assigned to receive either the 3P mHealth package or a PrEP education control. Participants will also be provided their choice of HIV PrEP agents/regimens and doxy-PEP for bacterial STI prevention.
STATUS: We are currently enrolling for focus groups. Please call us at 323-461-3106(Link opens phone app) or visit our sign up page(Link is external) for additional information.
: RELEVANCE: Stimulant use, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Los Angeles County (LAC) is common. Stimulant drug use, particularly methamphetamine use, is a significant factor in the progression of HIV and STI among MSM in LAC. Non-white MSM are at greatest risk of HIV infection in the United States. Analyses of drug use are needed among diverse samples of MSM in order to understand the impact of drug use on the HIV epidemic over time and to address the effect of long-term drug use patterns on uptake and adherence to treatment and prevention of the disease.
DESCRIPTION: The goal of this project is to assemble a cohort of minority men who have sex with men (MMSM) who actively use substances and engage transmission risks. This will facilitate studies on interactions between substance use and HIV progression and/or transmission. This important cohort of MMSM will characterize: (i) effects substance use on risk behaviors, and network dynamics in exposed and infected MMSM on acquisition of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs: gonorrhea, Chlamydia, syphilis, Hepatitis C (HCV)); and (ii) the extent to which substance use in MMSM facilitates behaviors that transmit HIV compared to non-drug using MMSM.
STATUS: This study is no longer enrolling new participants. Several papers have been published using the findings to date. See below for your reference:
Blair CS, Needleman J, Javanbakht M, Comulada WS, Ragsdale A, Bolan R, Shoptaw S, Gorbach PM. Examining the Relative Contributions of Methamphetamine Use, Depression, and Sexual Risk Behavior on Rectal Gonorrhea/Chlamydia Among a Cohort of Men Who Have Sex With Men in Los Angeles, California. Sex Transm Dis. 2022 Mar 1;49(3):216-222. PMCID: PMC8821317.

Blair CS, Javanbakht M, Comulada WS, Richter EI, Bolan R, Shoptaw S, Gorbach PM. Lubricants and rectal douching: associations with rectal gonorrhea, chlamydia, and/or syphilis infection among men who have sex with men. Int J STD AIDS. 2020 Oct;31(11):1040-1046. Epub 2020 Aug 4. PMCID: PMC7654094.

Blair CS, Needleman J, Javanbakht M, Comulada WS, Ragsdale A, Bolan R, Shoptaw S, Gorbach PM. Risk Behaviors Associated with Patterns of Sexualized Stimulant and Alcohol Use among Men Who Have Sex with Men: a Latent Class Analysis. J Urban Health. 2022 Apr;99(2):293-304Epub 2022 Jan 14. PMCID: PMC9033896.

Li MJ, Richter EI, Okafor CN, Kalmin MM, Dalvie S, Takada S, Gorbach PM, Shoptaw SJ, Cole SW. Social Genomics of Methamphetamine Use, HIV Viral Load, and Social Adversity. Ann Behav Med. 2022 Aug 30;56(9):900-908. PMCID: PMC9424866.

Quinn B, Gorbach PM, Okafor CN, Heinzerling KG, Shoptaw S. Investigating possible syndemic relationships between structural and drug use factors, sexual HIV transmission and viral load among men of colour who have sex with men in Los Angeles County. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2020 Feb;39(2):116-127. PMCID: PMC8007134.

Li MJ, Takada S, Okafor CN, Gorbach PM, Shoptaw SJ, Cole SW. Experienced homophobia and gene expression alterations in Black and Latino men who have sex with men in Los Angeles County. Brain Behav Immun. 2020 Jan;83:120-125. Epub 2019 Sep 26. PMCID: PMC6906252.

Li MJ, Okafor CN, Gorbach PM, Shoptaw S. Intersecting burdens: Homophobic victimization, unstable housing, and methamphetamine use in a cohort of men of color who have sex with men. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2018 Nov 1;192:179-185. Epub 2018 Sep 13. PMCID: PMC6200602.

Cohen JM, Li MJ, Javanbakht M, Gorbach PM, Shoptaw SJ. Methamphetamine use and adoption of preventive behaviors early in the COVID-19 pandemic among men who have sex with men in Los Angeles, California. Drug Alcohol Depend Rep. 2022 Dec;5:100097. Epub 2022 Sep 29. PMCID: PMC9519521.

Shoptaw S, Li MJ, Javanbakht M, Ragsdale A, Goodman-Meza D, Gorbach PM. Frequency of reported methamphetamine use linked to prevalence of clinical conditions, sexual risk behaviors, and social adversity in diverse men who have sex with men in Los Angeles. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2022 Mar 1;232:109320. Epub 2022 Jan 19. PMCID: PMC8885921.

Ciccarone D, Shoptaw S. Understanding Stimulant Use and Use Disorders in a New Era. Med Clin North Am. 2022 Jan;106(1):81-97. PMCID: PMC8670631.

Okafor CN, Gorbach PM, Ragsdale A, Quinn B, Shoptaw S. Correlates of Preexposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Use among Men Who Have Sex with Men (MSM) in Los Angeles, California. J Urban Health. 2017 Oct;94(5):710-715. PMCID: PMC5610125.

Takada S, Gorbach P, Brookmeyer R, Shoptaw S. Associations of social capital resources and experiences of homophobia with HIV transmission risk behavior and HIV care continuum among men who have sex with men in Los Angeles. AIDS Care. 2021 May;33(5):663-674. Epub 2020 Oct 14. PMCID: PMC8044261.

Gorbach PM, Javanbakht M, Ragsdale A, Bolan RB, Flynn R, Mandler R, Shoptaw S. Methamphetamine Injection Among Young Men Who Have Sex With Men: Risk for Human Immunodeficiency Virus Transmission in a Los Angeles Cohort. J Infect Dis. 2020 Sep 2;222(Suppl 5):S471-S476. PMCID: PMC7566619.
: RELEVANCE: There are currently no medications available for treating methamphetamine use disorder, highlighting a major gap in addiction medicine. This study aims to confirm the efficacy of naltrexone plus bupropion as a combination medication therapy to treat individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). This combination was shown effective in previous trials, including the much lauded ADAPT-2 study, the results of which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2021. Successful results could bring us closer to an approval of a medication for this serious condition
DESCRIPTION: The primary objective of this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy of extended release naltrexone plus bupropion compared to matched injectable and oral placebo in reducing methamphetamine (MA) use in individuals with moderate or severe methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) seeking to stop or reduce MA use. Individuals with moderate or severe MUD will be randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to receive either 1) extended-release naltrexone plus once daily oral extended-release bupropion tablets or 2) both the matching injection placebo and once daily oral placebo tablets. Participants will have visits twice weekly during the 12 week treatment phase and complete post treatment follow-up visits in weeks 14 and 16.
STATUS: We are currently enrolling. Please call us at 323-461-3106(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) for additional information or visit our sign up page(Link is external).
: RELEVANCE: Cocaine is one of the most commonly abused stimulants globally, and in the US, there are signs of a resurgence of cocaine use. A variety of pharmacotherapies for cocaine use disorder (CUD) has been explored but so far, no study has findings robust enough to warrant FDA approval. Recent research suggests that a kappa opioid receptor antagonist can curb the negative emotional states associated with stimulant withdrawal that leads to increased craving and drug-seeking behaviors.
DESCRIPTION: This protocol builds up on results of the Cocaine Use Reduction with Buprenorphine (CURB) study. It aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combined monthly injections of XR-NTX and injectable BUP for CUD compared to placebo.
STATUS: This study is no longer enrolling new participants.
: According to a 1992 study published in the Journal of Sexually Transmitted Diseases, using a condom makes sex 10,000 times safer than not using a condom. The UCLA Vine Street Clinic has partnered with LA County to provide free condoms to the public. For more information, visit L.A. Condom(Link is external).

UCLA Vine Street Clinic

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