Grant: CIHR Fellowship

Despite the success of antiretroviral therapies, approximately 25% of persons with HIV/AIDS inevitably exhibit one or more nervous system disorders, which also predict reduced survival. The abundance and type of virus (HIV-1) in the blood are important indicators of HIV-associated immunodeficiency and response to treatment. Conversely, the amount and kind of HIV-1 in the brain and the response to treatment of virus in the brain remain unknown. The objective of this proposal is to investigate what properties of HIV-1 are responsible for the processes causing HIV-associated brain disease and how these processes are affected by antiretroviral therapy. We will investigate how virus quantity and genetic variation cause brain disease in different models, as well as the effects of specific antiretroviral drugs that penetrate the brain. Our findings will lead to new preventative and/or therapeutic options for HIV infection of the nervous system and will contribute to the understanding of how HIV-1 might be eradicated from the body.