Overview

Since the start of the AIDS epidemic more than four decades ago, physicians, family and patients have observed that some people with HIV experience decline in brain function and movement skills, as well as shifts in behavior and mood. Some developed full-fledged dementia are unable to function at all. Although advances in antiretroviral therapy from the past two decades have decreased the severity of neurological impairment, symptoms still persist in 30–50% of people living with HIV. For many people, these symptoms continue to affect activities of daily living.

Because antiretrovirals have variable ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and due to some heretofold unknown mechanism, cerebral involvement can continue despite good control of HIV in the body. Microglia can be infected by HIV because they possess CD4 receptors on the surface. However, it has been quite puzzling to see astrocytes infected and taking a lead role in neuroimflammatory pathology.

The neurological involvement has not been as widely studied as the other aspects of HIV and Immgenuity proposes further research by using its therapeutic vaccine IMTV014.