Astrocyte elevated gene-1 is a novel modulator of HIV-1-associated neuroinflammation via regulation of nuclear factor-κB signaling and excitatory amino acid transporter-2 repression.

Astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1), a novel human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-inducible oncogene, has generated significant interest in the field of cancer research as a therapeutic target for many metastatic aggressive tumors. However, little is known about its role in astrocyte responses during HIV-1 central nervous system (CNS) infection and whether it contributes toward the development of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Therefore, in this study, we investigated changes in AEG-1 CNS expression in HIV-1-infected brain tissues and elucidated a potential mechanism of AEG-1-mediated regulation of HAND.