Simian immunodeficiency virus model of HIV induced central nervous system dysfunction

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the advances that have been made in the development and refinement of the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) model of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) dementia, and its contribution to the understanding and management of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) dementia complex (ADC) in humans. The SIV and the virus HIV are primate lentiviruses that have great genomic, structural, and virologic similarities. SIVs have been isolated from the different genera of nonhuman primates and hence are designated by subscripts indicating the type of primate from which they originally were isolated—for example, SIV mac from rhesus monkeys and SIV smm from sooty mangabey monkeys. Infection of rhesus as well as pig-tailed monkeys is the most popular nonhuman primate model of HIV disease. Progressive lymphoid changes, opportunistic infections, a wasting syndrome, and central nervous system (CNS) disease characterize the syndrome in both humans and monkeys. In humans, the HIV-associated cognitive/motor disorder, also known as ADC or neuroAIDS occurs in one-third of the patients. The etiology of CNS dysfunction resulting from HIV and SIV infections likely depends on host as well as viral factors. The SIV/nonhuman primate model of the HIV-associated cognitive/motor disorders provides a splendid system for studying this interplay.