Abstract:

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome is associated with the death of CD4+ T lymphocytes. The entry of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) into the central nervous system leads to a broad spectrum of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) ranging from mild to severe dementia. Inside the central nervous system, HIV establishes infection in astrocytes – the predominant cell type in the brain, thus causing neuropathology, but the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Much research has been focused on the role of innate immune activation, prompted by abundance of soluble viral factors, abortive infection, or cytokines secreted by neighboring microglia and associated with euroinflammation and HAND. However, the mechanisms that prime and activate the inflammatory process during HIV infection have not been unraveled.