Study 'replicates early effects of brain injury in HIV'RSS Feed

A new study has demonstrated the early brain injury caused by the HIV virus, shedding light on the nerve cell damage seen in the condition.

Research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, showed how the HIV infection leads to changes in brain cells, damage to neurons and inflammatory responses.

Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute of Mental Health, said that the research, which was conducted on mouse models, could lead to improved treatments that can be used early in the process.

Study author, Dr. Howard Gendelman, said: "The work contained within this study is the culmination of a 20-year quest to develop a rodent model of the primary neurological complications of HIV infection in humans."

The HIV virus leads to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which the immune system is unable to defend sufferers from infections.

According to the Global Health Council, over the past 27 years, almost 25 million people have died from AIDS.
 
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