Selected Grantee Publications

A Switch from Glial to Neuronal Gene Expression Alterations in the Spinal Cord of SIV-Infected Macaques on Antiretroviral Therapy

Mulka et al., Journal of Neuroimmune Pharmacology. 2024.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38862787/

Up to one-third of patients with HIV experience HIV-associated peripheral neuropathy, affecting sensory pathways in the spinal cord. Spinal cord sampling is limited in people with HIV. Researchers examined gene expression alterations in the spinal cords of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected male pigtail macaques with and without antiretroviral therapy (ART), using RNA sequencing at key time points throughout infection. Results indicate a shift from glial cell-associated pathways to neuronal pathways in SIV-infected animals receiving ART. These findings suggest that neurons, rather than glia, are predominantly involved in ART-related neurotoxicity and offer new insights into therapeutic strategies for maintaining synaptic homeostasis. Supported by ORIP (U42OD013117, T32OD011089) and NINDS.