Grant: Project Grant

The combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) has significantly improved the prognosis of individuals infected with HIV-1 and increased their life expectancy. However, up to 50% of patients suffer from a broad variety of neurological problems better known as HIV-1-associated neurological disorders (HAND). These disorders are caused by some inflammation in the brain which provoke neuron death. HIV-1 infects brain immune cells called microglia, which can survive for years, producing viral proteins and other substances that are toxic for neurons. Current therapies cannot cure HIV-1 infection because to virus hides in some cells in a latent form, and new types of drugs are being evaluated that can force the virus out of its latent state so the cells can be recognized and killed by the immune system, while other therapies are aimed at locking the virus in its latent state. Our studies are aimed at a better understanding of how HIV-1-infected microglia cause inflammation and neurodegeneration, and what can be the consequences of the new drugs on HIV-1-associated brain disorders.