Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 21, 2025
07:10
Conformational Evaluation of HIV-1 Trimeric Envelope Glycoproteins Using a Cell-based ELISA Assay
Published on: September 14, 2014
14.4K
Behavioral Evidence for a Tau and HIV-gp120 Interaction
Murali Vijayan1, Linda Yin2, P Hemachandra Reddy1,2
1Internal Medicine Department, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, 3601 4th Street, Lubbock, TX 79430, USA.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|May 28, 2022
Summary
The HIV envelope glycoprotein 120 (HIV-gp120) can worsen cognitive decline in mice modeling Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study shows HIV proteins may accelerate neurodegeneration in aging people with HIV (PLWH).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Virology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) controls HIV but HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) affects up to 50% of people living with HIV (PLWH).
- An aging PLWH population raises concerns about earlier onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) due to potential interactions between HIV and AD pathologies.
- Existing data show AD biomarkers in PLWH, but the functional impact of HIV-gp120 on AD is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of the HIV envelope glycoprotein 120 (HIV-gp120) on cognitive function in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD).
- To determine if HIV-gp120 exacerbates cognitive decline in the presence of AD-related pathology.
Main Methods:
- Transgenic Tau (P301L) mice and wild-type (WT) littermates were used.
- HIV-gp120 was administered intracerebroventricularly (ICV) to both groups.
- Cognitive function was assessed using the Y-maze behavioral test.
Main Results:
- HIV-gp120 administration altered cognitive function in Tau mice.
- Specifically, HIV-gp120 significantly promoted cognitive decline in transgenic Tau (P301L) mice compared to controls.
- Control groups included WT mice treated with HIV-gp120 and Tau mice without HIV-gp120 treatment.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first in vivo evidence that an HIV viral protein, HIV-gp120, interacts with AD pathology to negatively affect cognitive function.
- HIV-gp120 may accelerate cognitive decline in individuals with underlying AD pathology, highlighting a critical concern for aging PLWH.
- Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying this interaction and its clinical implications for managing neurocognitive disorders in PLWH.
