Trending...
- Kevin Francis Design Introduces CHROMA, a Collection of Saturated Solid Color Wool Rugs
- Bergey's Truck Centers Recognized in 2026 MACH Alliance Composable Impact Awards
- What Would you Do with Your Time if it Was Actually Money?
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
- Inframark–Slater Joint Venture Selected to Manage Fulton County Wastewater Operations
- Cancun International Airport Reports Strong Start to Summer 2026 Travel Season
- Freedomtech Solutions Launches the World's First Pre‑Installed Agentic AI Server — Instant, Sovereign, Infrastructure‑Native Intelligence
- GitKraken Introduces Code Flow, a Framework for Software Development in the Agentic Era
- Nola Blue Records announces new album from The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra featuring Willy Jordan
"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
- RIGHT CARS Announces Landmark African Expansion Through Strategic Collaboration Agreement Across Eight Nations
- Kyle Schwarber Surprises Local Fan After Heartbreaking Loss
- Custom Woodworker Launches Updated Website
- Boston Industrial Solutions' Natron® 717N Series UV LED Ink Receives CPSIA Certification
- purelyIV Expands Mobile IV Therapy to Jackson, MI and Launches PlaqueX® IV Therapy
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
- Haven Media Solutions Offers Web Design and PPC Services in Atlanta GA
- TREND Network Announces Miami Based Reality Series "Coming Up Miami" Premiering July 1
- Beemok Hospitality Collection And KLH Group Announce Preferred Partnership
- Expanding Access to Mental Health Care in Toronto with Dr. Stephen Shainbart
- Dr. Stephen Shainbart Launches Expanded Mental Health Support for Anxiety and Depression in Toronto
- Equipment Leases, Inc. Launches Updated Family Office Equipment Financing Page
- The $5 Million Man Still Begging: Incumbent Jimmy Panetta Hits Up Voters for More Cash Despite Massive War Chest
- Kevin Francis Design Introduces CHROMA, a Collection of Saturated Solid Color Wool Rugs
- $150+ Million Contracted Backlog, Strategic Acquisitions Adding Millions In Recurring Revenue, Improving Margins & A Clear Path Toward Profitability
- Record Revenue Growth, AI-Driven Healthcare Innovation, Expanding Proprietary Brand and Targeting $200 Million Revenue By 2029: Cosmos Health Inc
- Bergey's Truck Centers Recognized in 2026 MACH Alliance Composable Impact Awards
- What Would you Do with Your Time if it Was Actually Money?
- Mr. Hospital Bed Showcases the Best Hospital Bed and Air Mattress for Bed Sores for 2026
- Traian TKD Tractari Auto Iasi: cum transporti legal la RAR o masina fara numere sau cu ITP expirat
- Mike Williams Golf Center Now Open at Georgia's Lanier Islands Resort
- Appliance EMT Launches June "Summer Rescue" Promotion
- New Luxury Single Family Homes From $976,990 in Manalapan
- Longevityresearch.ca Unveils a Unique Bayesian Causal Atlas; Saves up to 7.9 life years/patient
- Grane Rx, a National Pharmacy Partner to PACE Programs, Names Scott Sosso President
- K2 Integrity Acquires RiskFront AI to Deliver AI Automation for Financial Crime Compliance and Risk Operations