HIV Alters Gap Junction-Mediated Intercellular Communication in Human Brain Pericytes.

ABSTRACT: Despite successful control of viremia by combined antiretroviral therapy, brain infection and its resulting neurocognitive impairment remain a prevalent comorbidity in HIV infected individuals. HIV invades the brain early in the course of infection via penetration through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). While the impact of HIV on BBB astrocytes and endothelial cells is relatively well studied, the role of pericytes in BBB regulation during HIV infection remains unclear; however, it is known that a selective population of pericytes is prone to infection. In the present study, we hypothesize that injury signals are propagated from infected pericytes to neighboring cells via gap junction (GJ)-mediated intercellular communication. Among a variety of studied GJ proteins, HIV infection of human b

SUBMITTER: Cho HJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5732912 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature