Study shows how a specific brain protein causes damage during long-term HIV infection.
University of California, Riverside news release
While powerful medications can suppress the spread of HIV and its progression to AIDS, there are no cures, and many people living with HIV experience nervous system problems.
Called neuroHIV, these complications occur when HIV infection affects the function and structural integrity of the brain and, to some extent, the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. The complications, including dementia and neuropathy, can cause problems with memory and thinking that make it hard for people to live a normal life.
Now, research has identified a brain protein driving this damage, pointing toward a possible treatment.
The research team studied the role of MAPK14, a gene integral to the inflammatory responses associated with viral infections. They found in a mouse model of neuroHIV that MAPK14’s presence and activity in a specific type of brain cell, called microglia, are required for HIV to cause brain injury and memory problems. The research is published in the journal Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.
Read the full news release here.
Source : University of California, Riverside
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