Inhibiting Glycan Degradation Prevents HIV-Induced Inflammaging and Cognitive Impairment.

ABSTRACT: Cognitive impairment is a frequent outcome of chronic viral infections linked to premature aging, including HIV. The mechanisms underlying this decline remain poorly understood. Here, we identify pro-inflammatory glycan degradation, characterized by loss of sialic acid and galactose, alterations that are hallmarks of premature aging, as key contributors to HIV-associated cognitive impairment (HIV-CI). In two independent cohorts of people living with HIV, these degradative changes were enriched in individuals with cognitive impairment, particularly females, and correlated with worse cognitive performance. In both a humanized mouse model of HIV and Eco-HIV, a complementary model that allows behavioral testing, pharmacological inhibition of glycan degradation with sialidase inhibitors prevent

SUBMITTER: Giron LB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12668001 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature