title: Interplay between microRNAs, Toll-like receptors, and HIV-1: potential implications in HIV-1 replication and chronic immune activation.
abstract: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important cellular, small non-coding RNAs that regulate host gene expression and have well-characterized roles in inflammation and infectious diseases. It has become apparent as well that cellular miRNAs can play crucial roles in controlling HIV-1 infection and replication. Whether HIV-1 encodes and is able to express viral miRNAs in infected cells remains controversial. HIV-1 can manipulate the biogenesis of miRNAs as well as the expression profiles of cellular miRNAs. Toll-Like receptors (TLRs) are important pathogen recognition receptors that sense invading pathogens orchestrating innate and adaptive immune responses. Innate immune recognition of HIV-1 infection leads to activation of TLR7/8. Recent evidence has shown that certain miRNAs can also be recognized by TLR7/8 leading to immune activation. However, the potential TLR7/8-mediated recognition of HIV-1 encoded miRNAs and/or cellular miRNAs modulated in HIV-1 infected cells has not been experimentally explored. In this review, we summarize the current literature on HIV-1 infection and miRNAs. Furthermore, we underscore the need for future research on potential miRNA-induced activation of TLR7/8, which might contribute to the chronic immune activation observed in HIV-1 infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA.
authors.forename: Gokul
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Swaminathan
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Navas-Martín
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martín-García
mesh_terms: D015658:HIV Infections / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism*; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D035683:MicroRNAs; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors