NeuroAIDS, drug abuse, and inflammation: building collaborative research activities.
Neurological complications of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection are a public health problem despite the availability of active antiretroviral therapies. The neuropathogenesis of HIV infection revolves around a complex cascade of events that include viral infection and glial immune activation, monocyte-macrophage brain infiltration, and secretion of a host of viral and cellular inflammatory and neurotoxic molecules. Although there is evidence that HIV-infected drug abusers experience more severe neurological disease, the biological basis for this finding is unknown. A scientific workshop organized by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) was held on March 23-24, 2006 to address this question. The goal of the meeting was to bring together basic science and clinical researchers who are experts in NeuroAIDS, glial immunity, drugs of abuse, and/or pharmacology in order to find new approaches to understanding interactions between drug abuse and neuroAIDS. The format of the meeting was designed to stimulate open discussion and forge new multidisciplinary research collaborations. This report includes transcripts of active discussions and short presentations from invited participants. The presentations were separated into sections that included: Glial Biology, Inflammation, and HIV; Pharmacology, Neurotoxicology, and Neuroprotection; NeuroAIDS and Virology; and Virus-Drug and Immune-Drug Interactions. Research priorities were identified. Additional information about this meeting is available through links from the NIDA AIDS Research Program website ( http://www.nida.nih.gov/about/organization/arp/arp-websites.htm ).
Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA. berman@aecom.yu.edu
Joan W
JW
Berman
Monica J
MJ
Carson
Linda
L
Chang
Brian M
BM
Cox
Howard S
HS
Fox
R Gilberto
RG
Gonzalez
Glen R
GR
Hanson
Kurt F
KF
Hauser
Wen-Zhe
WZ
Ho
Jau-Shyong
JS
Hong
Eugene O
EO
Major
William F
WF
Maragos
Eliezer
E
Masliah
Justin C
JC
McArthur
Diane B
DB
Miller
Avindra
A
Nath
James P
JP
O'Callaghan
Yuri
Y
Persidsky
Christopher
C
Power
Thomas J
TJ
Rogers
Walter
W
Royal
D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy