HIV is double trouble for brain
People who live a long time while infected with HIV sometimes develop dementia. The virus that causes AIDS is known to damage brain cells, and it now appears that the virus halts the creation of new neurons as well.
A single protein in the virus’ outer shell triggers both dementia-inducing effects, new research shows. Brains normally generate a steady stream of new nerve cells in the hippocampus, a region associated with learning. But the HIV protein called gp120 inhibits the stem cells in the brain from producing new nerve cells.