Drugs could halt aids-related dementia
Antioxidant drugs may help prevent disabling dementia caused by the Aids virus, scientists have discovered.
The effect of HIV on the brain is one of the worst aspects of the virus. But although modern antiretroviral drugs reverse the damage a little, their benefit is limited.
Researchers at the University of Kentucky in Lexington hit on the possible answer after investigating how HIV affects healthy brain cells.
Healthy cells were placed in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) obtained from 30 HIV patients with dementia, 16 without dementia, and 20 with other neurological disorders.
They were then tested to determine how the cerebrospinal fluid, which bathes the brain and spinal cord, affected their mitochondria bean-shaped powerplants within the cell body which produce energy.
Even slight mitochondrial problems in the brain can cause weakness and thinking difficulties.
The researchers found that HIV infection decreased the activity level of the mitochondria, with the damage increasing as dementia became severe.
Next the scientists added antioxidant drugs to the cultures with cerebrospinal fluid from patients who had HIV dementia. Seven different drugs were tested.
Dr Avindra Nath, who outlined the research at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Philadelphia, said: ‘‘Six of the drugs reversed the effects of the CSF toxicity. Much more work needs to be done to determine whether any of these drugs are actually effective for patients, but the potential is exciting.’’
One drug, called didox, was especially interesting because it was also able to suppress replication of the Aids virus.
