Hernandez CA, Eliseo E. The Role of Pannexin-1 Channels in HIV and NeuroHIV Pathogenesis.
Cells 2022;
11:2245. [PMID:
35883688 PMCID:
PMC9323506 DOI:
10.3390/cells11142245]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV) enters the brain shortly after infection, leading to long-term neurological complications in half of the HIV-infected population, even in the current anti-retroviral therapy (ART) era. Despite decades of research, no biomarkers can objectively measure and, more importantly, predict the onset of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. Several biomarkers have been proposed; however, most of them only reflect late events of neuronal damage. Our laboratory recently identified that ATP and PGE2, inflammatory molecules released through Pannexin-1 channels, are elevated in the serum of HIV-infected individuals compared to uninfected individuals and other inflammatory diseases. More importantly, high circulating ATP levels, but not PGE2, can predict a decline in cognition, suggesting that HIV-infected individuals have impaired ATP metabolism and associated signaling. We identified that Pannexin-1 channel opening contributes to the high serological ATP levels, and ATP in the circulation could be used as a biomarker of HIV-associated cognitive impairment. In addition, we believe that ATP is a major contributor to chronic inflammation in the HIV-infected population, even in the anti-retroviral era. Here, we discuss the mechanisms associated with Pannexin-1 channel opening within the circulation, as well as within the resident viral reservoirs, ATP dysregulation, and cognitive disease observed in the HIV-infected population.
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