Probing the Interface of HIV and Inflammaging.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Gerontology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Systemic inflammation, termed 'inflammaging,' increases with age and drives age-related diseases.
• People with HIV exhibit heightened inflammation, even with effective antiretroviral therapy (ART).
• The interplay between aging and HIV-related inflammation may create an exaggerated inflammatory state.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent findings on the mechanisms contributing to exaggerated inflammation in people with HIV.
• To explore how factors like ART, co-infections, immune changes, and microbiome alterations impact inflammation.
• To identify potential intervention strategies for improving healthspan and lifespan in this population.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on HIV, aging, and inflammation.
• Analysis of factors contributing to chronic inflammation in treated HIV disease.
• Synthesis of evidence linking inflammation to age-related morbidities in people with HIV.

Main Results:

• Antiretroviral therapy, co-infections, immune dysregulation, and microbiome changes are key drivers of HIV-associated inflammation.
• These inflammatory mechanisms likely exacerbate age-related morbidities in people living with HIV.
• Understanding these interactive pathways is crucial for therapeutic development.

Conclusions:

• Inflammation in aging and treated HIV disease interact, leading to an amplified inflammatory phenotype.
• Targeting these mechanisms may mitigate age-related morbidities and improve outcomes for people with HIV.
• Further research into these interactions can inform strategies to extend healthspan and lifespan.