title: The effects of cocaine on HIV transcription.
abstract: Illicit drug users are a high-risk population for infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A strong correlation exists between prohibited drug use and an increased rate of HIV transmission. Cocaine stands out as one of the most frequently abused illicit drugs, and its use is correlated with HIV infection and disease progression. The central nervous system (CNS) is a common target for both drugs of abuse and HIV, and cocaine intake further accelerates neuronal injury in HIV patients. Although the high incidence of HIV infection in illicit drug abusers is primarily due to high-risk activities such as needle sharing and unprotected sex, several studies have demonstrated that cocaine enhances the rate of HIV gene expression and replication by activating various signal transduction pathways and downstream transcription factors. In order to generate mature HIV genomic transcript, HIV gene expression has to pass through both the initiation and elongation phases of transcription, which requires discrete transcription factors. In this review, we will provide a detailed analysis of the molecular mechanisms that regulate HIV transcription and discuss how cocaine modulates those mechanisms to upregulate HIV transcription and eventually HIV replication.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The George Washington University, 2300 Eye Street, N.W., Washington, DC, 20037, USA. tmudit@email.gwu.edu.|Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20037, USA. tmudit@email.gwu.edu.
authors.forename: Mudit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tyagi
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The George Washington University, 2300 Eye Street, N.W., Washington, DC, 20037, USA.
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Tropical Medicine, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20037, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bukrinsky
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, The George Washington University, 2300 Eye Street, N.W., Washington, DC, 20037, USA.
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Simon
mesh_terms: D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000187:drug effects*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D016325:HIV Long Terminal Repeat; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs / Q000494:pharmacology; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D016328:NF-kappa B; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor; D003042:Cocaine
keywords: Cocaine; Epigenetic; HIV; Latency; Replication; Transcription