Current Drug Targets - Volume 17, Issue 1, 2016

Despite the success of combined antiretroviral therapy, more than half of HIV-1-infected patients in the USA show HIV-associated neurological and neuropsychiatric deficits. This is accompanied by anatomical and functional alterations in vulnerable brain regions of the mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal systems that regulate cognition, mood and motivation-driven behaviors, and could occur at early stages of infection. Neurons are not infected by HIV, but HIV-1 proteins (including but not limited to the HIV-1 trans-activator of transcription, Tat) induce Ca2+ dysregulation, indicated by abnormal and excessive Ca2+ influx and increased intracellular Ca2+ release that consequentially elevate cytosolic free Ca2+ levels ([Ca2+]in). Such alterations in intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis significantly disturb normal functioning of neurons, and induce dysregulation, injury, and death of neurons or non-neuronal cells, and associated tissue loss in HIV-vulnerable brain regions. This review discusses certain unique mechanisms, particularly the over-activation and/or upregulation of the ligand-gated ionotropic glutamatergic NMDA receptor (NMDAR), the voltage-gated L-type Ca2+ channel (L-channel) and the transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channel (a non-selective cation channel that is also permeable for Ca2+), which may underlie the deleterious effects of Tat on intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis and neuronal hyper-excitation that could ultimately result in excitotoxicity. This review also seeks to provide summarized information for future studies focusing on comprehensive elucidation of molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiological effects of Tat (as well as some other HIV-1 proteins and immunoinflammatory molecules) on neuronal function, particularly in HIV-vulnerable brain regions.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically extended the lifespan and quality of life of individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). HAART comprises of a cocktail of various pharmacological inhibitors which interfere with almost every stages of HIV-1 life cycle. However, constant application of drugs often results in the evolution of hostpathogen relationship resulting in the emergence of drug resistant viral strains. Drug resistant HIV-1 is a potent threat for the humankind. Therefore, there is a constant need to search for novel therapeutic molecules. HIV-1 infection results in the depletion of CD4+/CD8+T cells and alters the cytokine network in the infected individuals. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), a proinflammatory cytokine, plays a critical role in HIV-1 pathogenesis. HIV-1 utilizes the TNF-alpha signaling pathway for expanding its reservoir. Several HIV-1 proteins mimic and regulate the TNF-alpha signaling pathway. TNF-alpha inhibitors have been used in several inflammatory pathologies with success to some extent. In the present mini review we will discuss the role of TNF-alpha in HIV-1 pathogenesis. Furthermore we will evaluate the TNF-alpha inhibitors as an additional therapeutic option for HIV-1 infection.

The HIV-1 matrix protein p17 (p17) plays a crucial role in the virus life cycle. It is released in the extracellular space from HIV-1-infected cells and accumulates in the tissues of patients, even in those successfully treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy. Extracellular p17 deregulates the biological functions of many different cells that are directly or indirectly implicated in AIDS pathogenesis. All p17 actions depend on interaction between its functional epitope (AT20), located at the protein N-terminal region, and different receptors expressed on target cells. This finding corroborates the importance of impeding p17/p17 receptors interaction as a contribution to block AIDS. In this article we review the interaction of p17 with heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) and with the chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 1 (CXCR1) and 2 (CXCR2). We provide details on how p17 interacts with its receptors and how these interactions are central to the p17 biological activities. Moreover, we highlight the existence of a p17 variant, named S75X, which displays opposite effects on B-cell proliferation as compared to p17. A two-site model for p17 interaction with G-coupled receptors provides a possible explanation on how mutations naturally occurring within the primary amino acid structure can lead S75X to activate the Akt signaling pathway and to promote B-cell growth and transformation. Identification of p17 interaction with HSPGs, CXCR1 and CXCR2 as a fundamental event in supporting its activity could help to find new treatment approaches aimed at blocking all p17/p17 receptors interactions and, consequently, p17 detrimental activities.

The HIV-1 transactivator Tat protein plays a key role in AIDS pathogenesis. Besides the Tat role as activator of HIV-1 transcription, it exerts several important functions on infected and uninfected cells. In fact, HIV-1 Tat is released by infected cells and is taken up by neighboring cells. In this way it regulates expression of viral and cellular genes and it modulates several cellular pathways leading to HIV-1 infection spreading and immune dysregulation. So far, Tat protein and the cellular pathways targeted by Tat may represent potential targets for new anti-HIV therapeutic approaches and vaccine development against AIDS.

Nef is an accessory protein expressed exclusively in primate lentiviruses. It is devoid of enzymatic activities while interacting with several cell proteins as an adaptor/scaffold protein. Intracellular functions of Nef largely account for many pathogenic effects observed in AIDS disease. Nef, despite lacking known secretory pathways, can be detected in plasma of HIV-1-infected patients at the concentration varing from 5 to 10 ng/ml. Remarkably, the levels of Nef in plasma of HIV patients do not correlate with viral load or number of CD4+ T lymphocytes, and persist during antiretroviral therapy. Here, we review literature data describing how Nef can be transmitted from HIV-1- infected cells to bystander ones, and the effects of extracellular Nef in different cell types. Overall, large part of experimental evidences supports the idea that extracellular Nef plays a relevant role in AIDS pathogenesis. Hence, efforts focused on the identification of Nef-inhibiting drugs would be of relevance to establish new therapeutic approaches supporting current antiretroviral therapies.

Increasing lines of evidence indicate that NKG2D, an activating receptor of natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T cells, plays an important role in immune responses against HIV-1. Through its ability to recognize a diverse array of ligands (NKG2DLs) induced by cell ‘stress’ such as viral infection, NKG2D delivers activating and co-stimulatory signals resulting in cytotoxicity and release of cytokines. Therefore, HIV-1 and other viruses have evolved clever mechanisms to counteract NKG2D-dependent immune responses. While, on one hand, the HIV-1 Vpr protein up-regulates NKG2DLs expression by activating the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway, other viral proteins (Nef and Vif) have developed the capacity to reduce NKG2DLs expression levels. In addition, recent evidences suggest that HIV-1-infected CD4+ T cells may release NKG2DLs, particularly MICA, in soluble form, a phenomenon that has the potential to down-modulate NKG2D on circulating lymphocytes and allow evasion of NKG2D-mediated immune responses. Indeed, despite controversial, lower NKG2D expression was found on both NK and CD8+ T cells in HIV-1-infected patients. This review discusses recent advances in the understanding of how HIV-1 affects the NKG2D/NKG2DLs system, with a special focus on virus-induced release of soluble NKG2DLs and its functional implications for the immune surveillance of the infected host.

HIV-1 replicates by infecting new target cells either as cell-free viral particle or, much more efficiently, via cell-to-cell viral transmission. Cell-mediated viral spread, in which the infected cell directly transfers the viral particles to target cells via cell-cell contacts, in vitro is up to three orders of magnitude more efficient than transmission mediated by cell-free viral particles. Because of its potency, it has been suggested that current antiretroviral treatments could be less effective in blocking cell-to-cell viral transmission than cell-free. In this review, I will present an overview of the drugbased antiretroviral approaches as well as how the recently identified class of anti-HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies could become part of an effective anti-viral strategy. I will discuss how both treatment strategies can be guided by our consideration that cell-to-cell HIV-1 spread is a major route of viral spread also in vivo.

The identification of chemokine receptors as necessary co-receptors for HIV entry into target cells represented a breakthrough in the understanding of the pathogenesis of this viral infection. Since this initial discovery, it was unraveled that chemokines, in addition to their role in blocking viral entry by binding to co-receptors, have other functions in HIV pathogenesis. Indeed, chemokines can either inhibit or enhance HIV replication, and these effects may involve both entry and post-entry events of the viral life cycle. Depending on the balance of their negative versus positive effects on HIV replication and spreading, chemokines contribute to different outcomes of HIV pathogenesis. CCL2 is unique among the chemokines in that mostly enhancing effects on viral replication and pathogenesis have been reported. Either HIV infection itself or exposure to viral products can induce the expression of this chemokine and of its receptor CCR2, and high levels of CCL2/CCR2 are indeed found in HIV-infected subjects. The CCL2/CCR2 axis is tightly linked to the high level of immune activation and inflammation that is the hallmark of HIV infection even in patients undergoing antiretroviral therapy. In addition, more direct effects of CCL2 on HIV replication are becoming apparent. Thus, modulation of CCL2/CCR2-driven effects may have significant impact on HIV disease progression. In this review, we will discuss the complex interaction between CCL2/CCR2 and HIV and the emerging therapeutic approaches based on the inhibition of this axis.

Chemokine CXCL8 is a low molecular weight neutrophil chemoattractant implicated in various neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease and stroke. Increased expression of CXCL8 has been reported in serum, plasma and brain of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 infected individuals with neurocognitive impairment, indicating its role in neuroinflammation associated with HIV-1 infection of the brain. Since chemokines are critical in eliciting immune responses in the central nervous system (CNS), CXCL8 is of particular importance for being one of the first chemokines described in the brain. Activation of astrocytes and microglia by HIV-1 and virus associated proteins results in production of this chemokine in the brain microenvironment. Consequently, CXCL8 exerts its effect on target cells via Gprotein coupled receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2. Neutrophils are the main target cells for CXCL8; however, microglia and neurons also express CXCR1/CXCR2 and therefore are important targets for CXCL8-mediated crosstalk. The objective of this review is to focus on CXCL8 production, signaling and regulation in neuronal and glial cells in response to HIV-1 infection. We highlight the role of HIV-1 secreted proteins such as trans-activator of transcription, envelope glycoprotein, negative regulatory factor and viral protein r in the regulation of CXCL8. We discuss dual role of CXCL8 in neurodegeneration as well as neuroprotection in the CNS. Thus, targeting CXCL8 through the development of CXCR1/CXCR2-based therapeutic strategies to either selectively agonize or antagonize receptors may be able to selectively promote neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory outcomes, leading to significant clinical applications in many neuroinflammatory CNS diseases, including HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders.

Although extraordinary progress has been made in the treatment and prevention of HIV infection, the AIDS pandemic continues to rage globally with 2.1 million infections and 1.6 million AIDS-related deaths reported in 2013. Until an effective vaccine is developed, new strategies for treatment and prevention are needed. Regarding the prevention of HIV infection, a major focus of prevention research in general and vaccine research in particular involves the interaction of the HIV-1 envelope protein gp120 with cell-surface receptors, with the hope that a greater understanding of these interactions will lead to the development of novel strategies aimed at preventing and even treating HIV-1 infection. Particular attention has been directed toward gaining a more precise understanding of the early events in transmission focusing on that critical window of time when HIV first establishes infection in the host. Here we describe some of the recent findings involving HIV-1 envelope interactions with cell surface receptors that are relevant to transmission and which may represent new opportunities to develop strategies to prevent HIV infection.