Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neuroscience
 


 

 

 

Avindra  Nath, MD

Professor of Neurology

Telephone Number:   443-287-4656

Fax Number:   410-614-1008

600 N. Wolfe St.

Baltimore, MD 21287

Room: 509 Pathology

anath1@jhmi.edu

(click on picture for caption)

Mechanisms of neurodegeneration in dementia due to HIV infection


      HIV infection frequently causes a dementia associated with neuronal cell loss. However the neurons themselves are not infected. Liklely viral products or other substances released fromn the infected cells set up cascades leading to neurodegeneration. Identifying the subcellular mechanisms involved could lead to pharmacological methods of blocking the neuronal damage. It could also lead to the indentification of pathways and mechanisms of cell death that may have applications for other dementing illnesses. Additionally, we have observed that some of the viral proteins may be transported along neurons along long distances. Again the mechanism of this unique neuronal transport remains unknown. We have established a human brain culture model to address these questions. Since the virus only infects humans, we have reasoned that HIV neuropathogenesis is best studied using human systems. The laboratory is currently using a molecular biological, neuronal functional assays and proteomics based approaches to study HIV neuropathogenesis.



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© 2005 Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine