Development of a rapid autopsy program for studies of brain immunity.

Human glia are essential cellular models used for studies of neurodegenerative diseases. Fetal neuroglia are commonly used, as they can be recovered in large quantities and sustained for long periods in culture. However, fetal neuroglia may have limitations in reflecting adult diseases and additionally can pose ethical issues in translating products of abortion for research use.

Neuroregulatory events follow adaptive immune-mediated elimination of HIV-1-infected macrophages: studies in a murine model of viral encephalitis.

HIV-1-specific cellular immunity serves to eliminate infected cells and disease. However, how this process specifically affects the CNS is poorly understood. To mirror the regulatory events that occur in human brain after HIV-1 infection, a murine model of viral encephalitis was used to study relationships, over time, among lymphocyte-mediated infected cell elimination, innate immune responses, and neuropathology.

Neuroprotective activities of sodium valproate in a murine model of human immunodeficiency virus-1 encephalitis.

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection of the nervous system can result in neuroinflammatory events leading first to neuronal dysfunction then to cognitive and behavioral impairments in infected people. The multifaceted nature of the disease process, commonly called HIV-1-associated dementia (HAD), provides a number of adjunctive therapeutic opportunities. One proposed adjunctive therapy is sodium valproate (VPA), an anticonvulsant known to promote neurite outgrowth and increase beta-catenin through inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase 3beta activity and tau phosphorylation.