title: Yin and Yang of PDGF-mediated signaling pathway in the context of HIV infection and drug abuse.
abstract: The control and eradication of neurological complications associated with AIDS continues to be an important goal in efforts toward improving the well being of HIV-infected patients. Although combined antiretroviral therapies have contributed significantly to increasing the longevity of patients by suppressing the virus burden in the systemic compartments, the prevalence of HIV-associated neurological disorders continues to be on the rise. This in turn, leads to an impaired quality of life of the infected individuals who continue to suffer from mild to moderate cognitive decline and memory loss. Developing therapeutic interventions that reverse neuronal injury in the context of HIV infection, is thus of paramount importance in the field. Our previous studies have demonstrated that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) has a neuroprotective potential against HIV envelope protein gp120 and Tat. Paradoxically, PDGF is also a cerebrovascular permeant with deleterious effects on the blood-brain barrier resulting in increased influx of monocytes in the CNS. Herein, we review the opposing roles of PDGF in the context of HIV-associated neurodegenerative disorder (HAND).
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, 985880 Nebraska Medical Center (DRC 8011), University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5880, USA.
authors.forename: Honghong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.forename: Crystal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bethel-Brown
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Fuwang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Shilpa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buch
mesh_terms: D015526:AIDS Dementia Complex / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D010982:Platelet-Derived Growth Factor