Trending...
- Mend Colorado Launches Revamped Sports Performance Training Page
- OneVizion Announces Next Phase of Growth as Brad Kitchens Joins Board of Directors
- Authoress S.E. Gregg Offers Gold-Signed Copies in 2026"
PHILADELPHIA, June 18, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- It's long been known that people living with HIV experience a loss of white matter in their brains. As opposed to gray matter, which is composed of the cell bodies of neurons, white matter is made up of cells that produce myelin, a fatty substance that coats neurons, offering protection and helping them transmit signals efficiently. A reduction in white matter is associated with motor and cognitive impairment.
Earlier work by a team from Penn Dental Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that antiretroviral therapy (ART)—the lifesaving drugs that many with HIV use daily—can reduce white matter, but it wasn't clear how the virus itself contributed to this loss.
In a new study using both human and rodent cells, the team has determined how HIV prevents the myelin-making brain cells called oligodendrocytes from maturing, reducing white matter production. When the researchers applied a compound blocking to this process, the cells were once again able to mature. The work appears in the journal Glia.
More on The PennZone
"Even when people with HIV have their disease well-controlled by antiretrovirals, they still have the virus present in their bodies, so this study came out of our interest in understanding how HIV infection itself affects white matter," says Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, professor at Penn Dental Medicine and the study's co-senior author. "By understanding those mechanisms, we can take the next step to protect people with HIV from these impacts."
Jordan-Sciutto and Judith Grinspan, CHOP research scientist and Professor of Neurology at Penn Medicine, have been collaborating to elucidate how ART and HIV affect the brain. Their previous work on antiretrovirals had shown that commonly used drugs disrupted the function of oligodendrocytes, reducing myelin formation.
More on The PennZone
In the current study, they aimed to isolate the effect of HIV on this process by looking at human macrophages, one of the major cell types that HIV infects.
Ultimately, the researchers want to discern the effects of the virus from the drugs used to treat it in order to better evaluate the risks of each.
"When we put people on ART, it's important to understand the implications," says Jordan-Sciutto. "Antiretrovirals may prevent the establishment of a viral reservoir in the central nervous system, which would be wonderful, but we also know some drugs have unintended consequences, which may include altering white matter." Read more on the study >>
Contact: Beth Adams, [email protected]
SOURCE Penn Dental Medicine
Related Links
http://www.dental.upenn.edu
Earlier work by a team from Penn Dental Medicine and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found that antiretroviral therapy (ART)—the lifesaving drugs that many with HIV use daily—can reduce white matter, but it wasn't clear how the virus itself contributed to this loss.
In a new study using both human and rodent cells, the team has determined how HIV prevents the myelin-making brain cells called oligodendrocytes from maturing, reducing white matter production. When the researchers applied a compound blocking to this process, the cells were once again able to mature. The work appears in the journal Glia.
More on The PennZone
- Angels Of Dirt Premieres on Youtube, Announces Paige Keck Helmet Sponsorship for 2026 Season
- "They Said It Was Impossible": This Bottle Turns Any Freshwater Source Into Ice-Cold, Purified Drinking Water in Seconds
- Patron Saints Of Music Names Allie Moskovits Head Of Sync & Business Development
- Dave Aronberg Named 2026 John C. Randolph Award Recipient by Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians & Jews
- General Relativity Challenged by New Tension Discovered in Dark Siren Cosmology
"Even when people with HIV have their disease well-controlled by antiretrovirals, they still have the virus present in their bodies, so this study came out of our interest in understanding how HIV infection itself affects white matter," says Kelly Jordan-Sciutto, professor at Penn Dental Medicine and the study's co-senior author. "By understanding those mechanisms, we can take the next step to protect people with HIV from these impacts."
Jordan-Sciutto and Judith Grinspan, CHOP research scientist and Professor of Neurology at Penn Medicine, have been collaborating to elucidate how ART and HIV affect the brain. Their previous work on antiretrovirals had shown that commonly used drugs disrupted the function of oligodendrocytes, reducing myelin formation.
More on The PennZone
- Burkentine Real Estate Group to Bring A New Community to Millersville, Pennsylvania
- Unseasonable Warmth Triggers Early Pest Season Along I-5 Corridor
- VIP Vacations Named Winner in 2026 WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards®
- Colonial Nissan Champions Community Service and Trust Across the Greater Philadelphia Region
- Bug Busters Expands Service Footprint With New Carrollton, Georgia Branch
In the current study, they aimed to isolate the effect of HIV on this process by looking at human macrophages, one of the major cell types that HIV infects.
Ultimately, the researchers want to discern the effects of the virus from the drugs used to treat it in order to better evaluate the risks of each.
"When we put people on ART, it's important to understand the implications," says Jordan-Sciutto. "Antiretrovirals may prevent the establishment of a viral reservoir in the central nervous system, which would be wonderful, but we also know some drugs have unintended consequences, which may include altering white matter." Read more on the study >>
Contact: Beth Adams, [email protected]
SOURCE Penn Dental Medicine
Related Links
http://www.dental.upenn.edu
Filed Under: Business
0 Comments
Latest on The PennZone
- Patent Bar Exam Candidates Achieve 30% Higher Pass Rates with Wysebridge's 2026 Platform
- Municipal Carbon Field Guide Launched by LandConnect -- New Revenue Streams for Cities Managing Vacant Land
- Hoy Law Wins Supreme Court Decision Establishing Federal Trucking Regulations as the Standard of Care in South Dakota
- Dr. Rashad Richey's Indisputable Shatters Records, Over 1 Billion YouTube Views, Top 1% Podcast, 3.2 Million Viewers Daily
- Lee, Miller, Quesada Featured in Standout FAN EXPO Philadelphia Creator Lineup, May 29-31
- Grand Opening: New Single-Family Homes Now Open for Sale at Heritage at Manalapan
- Radiant Floor Heating & Tile: Why More Chester County Homeowners Are Choosing Comfort Over Convention
- Shelter Structures America Announces Distribution Partnership with The DuraTrac Group
- The OpenSSL Corporation Releases Its Annual Report 2025
- Iranian-Born Engineer Mohsen Bahmani Introduces Propeller-Less Propulsion for Urban Air Mobility
- Aleen Inc. (C S E: ALEN.U) Advances Digital Wellness Vision with Streamlined Platform Navigation and Long-Term Growth Strategy
- RimbaMindaAI Officially Launches Version 3.0 Following Strategic Breakthrough in Malaysian Market Analysis
- Fed Rate Pause & Dow 50k: Irfan Zuyrel on Liquidity Shifts, Crypto Volatility, and the ASEAN Opportunity
- 20/20 Institute Launches Updated Vision Correction Procedures Page for Denver & Colorado Springs
- OneVizion Announces Next Phase of Growth as Brad Kitchens Joins Board of Directors
- New Children's Picture Book "Diwa of Mount Luntian" Focuses on Calm, Culture, and Connection for Today's Families
- Actor, Spokesperson Rio Rocket Featured in "Switch to AT&T" Campaign Showing How Customers Can BYOD and Keep Their Number
- The World's No.1 Superstar® Brings Disco Fever Back With New Global Single and Video "Disco Dancing"
- Boston Industrial Solutions' Natron® 512N Series UV LED Ink Achieves BPA Certification, Advancing Safe and Sustainable Digital Printing
- Joan Nissen promoted to Century Fasteners Corp. – General Manager, Aerospace & Government Sales