HIV-1 and the developing human nervous system: in vivo and in vitro aspects

HIV-1 is able to penetrate the developing human central nervous system and induce damage. Clinical and neuropathological observations demonstrate that (a) the virus is transmitted during the late phase of pregnancy or at the time of delivery; (b) the main infected cells within the brain are macrophages, and (c) the mere presence of infected macrophages within CNS tissue is not enough to predict disease. Primary cultures of human embryonic or fetal CNS and derived cultures highly enriched in either astrocytes or microglial cells are useful tools to study the mechanisms of HIV-1-induced neuronotoxicity in which both microglial cells and astrocytes play important roles.