Overview on the Tricks of HIV Tat to Hit the Blood Brain Barrier

HIV infection among AIDS patients is associated with dysfunctions in the central nervous system (CNS) at the late stages of the disease. HIV Tat protein is released extracellularly from the productively infected cells and play important role in successful HIV replication and activates the neighboring uninfected cells in the bystander fashion. The structural flexibility of Tat protein is one of the unique features, responsible for the diverse functions. The RNA binding ability and interacting domains are very important characteristic of the HIV-Tat protein. HIV Tat protein adversely affects the integrity of the blood brain barrier by a variety of mechanisms. Such compromise in the integrity of the blood brain barrier could affect the neuro-immune interactions within the brain, which results to the neuroinflammation.