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School of Medicine Faculty Publications

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Full-Text Articles in Virus Diseases

Echinomycin As A Promising Therapeutic Agent Against Kshv-Related Malignancies, Jungang Chen, Zhen Lin, Jiao Song, Karlie Plaisance-Bonstaff, Jennifer James, Shengyu Mu, Steven R. Post, Lu Dai, Zhiqiang Qin May 2023

Echinomycin As A Promising Therapeutic Agent Against Kshv-Related Malignancies, Jungang Chen, Zhen Lin, Jiao Song, Karlie Plaisance-Bonstaff, Jennifer James, Shengyu Mu, Steven R. Post, Lu Dai, Zhiqiang Qin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is the etiologic agent of several human cancers, including Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL), which preferentially arise in immunocompromised patients while lack of effective therapeutic options. Oncoproteins Myc and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) have been found closely related to KSHV infection, replication and oncogenesis. However, the strategies of dual targeting these two oncoproteins have never been developed and tested for treatments of KSHV-related malignancies. In the current study, we report that treatment of echinomycin dramatically regresses cell growth both in vitro-cultured KSHV + tumor cells and in vivo KS or PEL xenograft mice models, …


Upregulation Of Cell Surface Glycoproteins In Correlation With Kshv Lana In The Kaposi Sarcoma Tumor Microenvironment, Sara R. Privatt, Owen Ngalamika, Jianshui Zhang, Qinsheng Li, Charles Wood, John T. West Apr 2023

Upregulation Of Cell Surface Glycoproteins In Correlation With Kshv Lana In The Kaposi Sarcoma Tumor Microenvironment, Sara R. Privatt, Owen Ngalamika, Jianshui Zhang, Qinsheng Li, Charles Wood, John T. West

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

HIV-associated epidemic Kaposi sarcoma (EpKS) remains one of the most prevalent cancers in sub-Saharan Africa despite the widespread uptake of anti-retroviral therapy and HIV-1 suppression. In an effort to define potential therapeutic targets against KS tumors, we analyzed previously published KS bulk tumor transcriptomics to identify cell surface biomarkers. In addition to upregulated gene expression (>6-fold) in the EpKS tumor microenvironment, biomarkers were selected for correlation with KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) expression. The cell surface glycoprotein genes identified were KDR, FLT4, ADAM12, UNC5A, ZP2, and OX40, as well as the endothelial lineage determinants Prox-1 and CD34. Each protein …


Tocilizumab For Severe Covid-19 Infection And Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Adults And Children, Amber N. Edinoff, Edward Sanders Alpaugh, Olivia Newgaard, Irza Wajid, Rachel J. Klapper, Elyse M. Cornett, Adam M. Kaye, Praneet Iyer, Alan D. Kaye Mar 2023

Tocilizumab For Severe Covid-19 Infection And Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome In Adults And Children, Amber N. Edinoff, Edward Sanders Alpaugh, Olivia Newgaard, Irza Wajid, Rachel J. Klapper, Elyse M. Cornett, Adam M. Kaye, Praneet Iyer, Alan D. Kaye

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapidly emerged as a global pandemic, placing imminent stress and burden on healthcare resources and workers worldwide. Many patients who present with a severe COVID-19 infection are at high risk of developing severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), leading to a vast number of patients requiring mechanical ventilation and a high mortality rate. Similar to Middle East respiratory syndrome, COVID-19 demonstrates an initial viral replication phase that manifests as a variety of symptoms typically flu-like in nature, followed by a profound inflammatory response leading to rapid production of cytokines and uncontrolled inflammation. There have also been …


Circulating Plasma Exosomal Proteins Of Either Shiv-Infected Rhesus Macaque Or Hiv-Infected Patient Indicates A Link To Neuropathogenesis, Partha K. Chandra, Stephen E. Braun, Sudipa Maity, Jorge A. Castorena-Gonzalez, Hogyoung Kim, Jeffrey G. Shaffer, Sinisa Cikic, Ibolya Rutkai, Jia Fan, Jessie J. Guidry, David K. Worthylake, Chenzhong Li, Asim B. Abdel-Mageed, David W. Busija Mar 2023

Circulating Plasma Exosomal Proteins Of Either Shiv-Infected Rhesus Macaque Or Hiv-Infected Patient Indicates A Link To Neuropathogenesis, Partha K. Chandra, Stephen E. Braun, Sudipa Maity, Jorge A. Castorena-Gonzalez, Hogyoung Kim, Jeffrey G. Shaffer, Sinisa Cikic, Ibolya Rutkai, Jia Fan, Jessie J. Guidry, David K. Worthylake, Chenzhong Li, Asim B. Abdel-Mageed, David W. Busija

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Despite the suppression of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) replication by combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), 50–60% of HIV-infected patients suffer from HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Studies are uncovering the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs), especially exosomes, in the central nervous system (CNS) due to HIV infection. We investigated links among circulating plasma exosomal (crExo) proteins and neuropathogenesis in simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)-infected rhesus macaques (RM) and HIV-infected and cART treated patients (Patient-Exo). Isolated EVs from SHIV-infected (SHIV-Exo) and uninfected (CTL-Exo) RM were predominantly exosomes (particle size < 150 nm). Proteomic analysis quantified 5654 proteins, of which 236 proteins (~4%) were significantly, differentially expressed (DE) between SHIV-/CTL-Exo. Interestingly, different CNS cell specific markers were abundantly expressed in crExo. Proteins involved in latent viral reactivation, neuroinflammation, neuropathology-associated interactive as well as signaling molecules were expressed at significantly higher levels in SHIV-Exo than CTL-Exo. However, proteins involved in mitochondrial biogenesis, ATP production, autophagy, endocytosis, exocytosis, and cytoskeleton organization were significantly less expressed in SHIV-Exo than CTL-Exo. Interestingly, proteins involved in oxidative stress, mitochondrial biogenesis, ATP production, and autophagy were significantly downregulated in primary human brain microvascular endothelial cells exposed with HIV+/cART+ Patient-Exo. We showed that Patient-Exo significantly increased blood–brain barrier permeability, possibly due to loss of platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 protein and actin cytoskeleton structure. Our novel findings suggest that circulating exosomal proteins expressed CNS cell markers—possibly associated with viral reactivation and neuropathogenesis—that may elucidate the etiology of HAND.


Endogenous Mirna-Based Innate-Immunity Against Sars-Cov-2 Invasion Of The Brain, Walter J. Lukiw, Aileen I. Pogue Feb 2023

Endogenous Mirna-Based Innate-Immunity Against Sars-Cov-2 Invasion Of The Brain, Walter J. Lukiw, Aileen I. Pogue

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, possesses an unusually large positive-sense, single-stranded viral RNA (ssvRNA) genome of about ~29,903 nucleotides (nt). In many respects, this ssvRNA resembles a very large, polycistronic messenger RNA (mRNA) possessing a 5′-methyl cap (m7GpppN), a 3′- and 5′-untranslated region (3′-UTR, 5′-UTR), and a poly-adenylated (poly-A+) tail. As such, the SARS-CoV-2 ssvRNA is susceptible to targeting by small non-coding RNA (sncRNA) and/or microRNA (miRNA), as well as neutralization and/or inhibition of its infectivity via the human body’s natural complement of about ~2650 miRNA species. Depending on host cell and tissue …


Implementation Of Mrsa Nasal Swabs As An Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention To Decrease Anti-Mrsa Therapy In Covid-19 Infection, Alaina Dekerlegand, Emily Johnston, Britney Mellor, Melanie Rae Schrack, Catherine O’Neal Jan 2023

Implementation Of Mrsa Nasal Swabs As An Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention To Decrease Anti-Mrsa Therapy In Covid-19 Infection, Alaina Dekerlegand, Emily Johnston, Britney Mellor, Melanie Rae Schrack, Catherine O’Neal

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

In the early stages of treating patients with SARS-CoV-2, limited information was available to guide antimicrobial stewardship interventions. The COVID-19 Task Force and Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee, at a 988-bed academic medical center, implemented the use of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to assist with the de-escalation of anti-MRSA therapy in patients with suspected superimposed bacterial pneumonia in COVID-19. A retrospective study was conducted to evaluate the impact of MRSA nasal swab PCR testing on the rate of anti-MRSA therapy between 13 April 2020 and 26 July 2020. A total of 122 patients were included …


Demonstrating New-Onset Or Worsened Sudomotor Function Post-Covid-19 On Comparative Analysis Of Autonomic Function Pre-And Post-Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Aditi Varma-Doyle, Nicole R. Villemarette-Pittman, Paul Lelorier, John England Jan 2023

Demonstrating New-Onset Or Worsened Sudomotor Function Post-Covid-19 On Comparative Analysis Of Autonomic Function Pre-And Post-Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Aditi Varma-Doyle, Nicole R. Villemarette-Pittman, Paul Lelorier, John England

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Autonomic dysfunction including sudomotor abnormalities have been reported in association with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Objective: There are no previous studies that have compared autonomic function objectively in patients pre- and post- SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aimed to identify if SARS-CoV-2 virus is triggering and/or worsening dysautonomia by comparing autonomic function tests in a group of patients pre-and post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. Design/methods: Six participants were enrolled and divided into two groups. The first group of 4 participants reported worsened autonomic symptoms post-SARS-CoV-2 infection. These individuals had their first autonomic test prior to COVID-19 pandemic outbreak (July 2019–December 2019). Autonomic function testing was repeated …


Therapeutic Approaches For Chronic Hepatitis C: A Concise Review, Allah Nawaz, Azhar Manzoor, Saeed Ahmed, Naveed Ahmed, Waseem Abbas, Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, Muhammad Bilal, Alisha Sheikh, Saleem Ahmad, Ishtiaq Jeelani, Takashi Nakagawa Jan 2023

Therapeutic Approaches For Chronic Hepatitis C: A Concise Review, Allah Nawaz, Azhar Manzoor, Saeed Ahmed, Naveed Ahmed, Waseem Abbas, Mushtaq Ahmad Mir, Muhammad Bilal, Alisha Sheikh, Saleem Ahmad, Ishtiaq Jeelani, Takashi Nakagawa

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant global health concern, prompting the need for effective treatment strategies. This in-depth review critically assesses the landscape of HCV treatment, drawing parallels between traditional interferon/ribavirin therapy historically pivotal in HCV management and herbal approaches rooted in traditional and complementary medicine. Advancements in therapeutic development and enhanced clinical outcomes axis on a comprehensive understanding of the diverse HCV genome, its natural variations, pathogenesis, and the impact of dietary, social, environmental, and economic factors. A thorough analysis was conducted through reputable sources such as Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, books, and dissertations. …


Community Risks For Sars-Cov-2 Infection Among Fully Vaccinated Us Adults By Rurality: A Retrospective Cohort Study From The National Covid Cohort Collaborative, Alfred Jerrod Anzalone, Jing Sun, Amanda J. Vinson, William H. Beasley, William B. Hillegass, Kimberly Murray, Brian M. Hendricks, Melissa Haendel, Carol Reynolds Geary, Kristina L. Bailey, Corrine K. Hanson, Lucio Miele, Ronald Horswell, Julie A. Mcmurry, J. Zachary Porterfield, Michael T. Vest, H. Timothy Bunnell, Jeremy R. Harper, Bradley S. Price Jan 2023

Community Risks For Sars-Cov-2 Infection Among Fully Vaccinated Us Adults By Rurality: A Retrospective Cohort Study From The National Covid Cohort Collaborative, Alfred Jerrod Anzalone, Jing Sun, Amanda J. Vinson, William H. Beasley, William B. Hillegass, Kimberly Murray, Brian M. Hendricks, Melissa Haendel, Carol Reynolds Geary, Kristina L. Bailey, Corrine K. Hanson, Lucio Miele, Ronald Horswell, Julie A. Mcmurry, J. Zachary Porterfield, Michael T. Vest, H. Timothy Bunnell, Jeremy R. Harper, Bradley S. Price

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background While COVID-19 vaccines reduce adverse outcomes, post-vaccination SARS-CoV-2 infection remains problematic. We sought to identify community factors impacting risk for breakthrough infections (BTI) among fully vaccinated persons by rurality. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of US adults sampled between January 1 and December 20, 2021, from the National COVID Cohort Collaborative (N3C). Using Kaplan-Meier and Cox-Proportional Hazards models adjusted for demographic differences and comorbid conditions, we assessed impact of rurality, county vaccine hesitancy, and county vaccination rates on risk of BTI over 180 days following two mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations between January 1 and September 21, 2021. Additionally, …


Incident Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection In A High School Population, Jacques M. Nsuami, Wato Nsa, Catherine L. Cammarata, David H. Martin, Stephanie N. Taylor Sep 2022

Incident Chlamydia Trachomatis Infection In A High School Population, Jacques M. Nsuami, Wato Nsa, Catherine L. Cammarata, David H. Martin, Stephanie N. Taylor

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Prospective cohort studies of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are logistically impractical owing to time and expenses. In schools, students are readily available for school-related follow-ups and monitoring. Capitalizing on the logistics that society already commits to ensure regular attendance of adolescents in school, a school-based STI screening in New Orleans made it possible to naturally observe the occurrence of chlamydia and to determine its incidence among 14–19-year-old adolescents. Among participants screened repeatedly, we calculated incidence rates, cumulative incidence, and incidence times. Male (n = 3820) and female (n = 3501) students were observed for 6251 and 5143 person-years, respectively, during …


Active And Passive Immunization With An Anti-Methamphetamine Vaccine Attenuates The Behavioral And Cardiovascular Effects Of Methamphetamine, Colin N. Haile, Kurt J. Varner, Xia Huijing, Reetakshi Arora, Frank M. Orson, Thomas R. Kosten, Therese A. Kosten Sep 2022

Active And Passive Immunization With An Anti-Methamphetamine Vaccine Attenuates The Behavioral And Cardiovascular Effects Of Methamphetamine, Colin N. Haile, Kurt J. Varner, Xia Huijing, Reetakshi Arora, Frank M. Orson, Thomas R. Kosten, Therese A. Kosten

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is a growing health concern with no FDA-approved treatment. The present series of studies build upon our previous work developing an anti-methamphetamine (MA) vaccine for MUD. We determined the effects of a formulation that included tetanus-toxoid (TT) conjugated to succinyl-methamphetamine (TT-SMA) adsorbed onto aluminum hydroxide (alum) in combination with the novel Toll-Like Receptor-5 agonist, entolimod. Methods: Mice were vaccinated (0, 3, 6 weeks) with TT-SMA+alum and various doses of entolimod to determine an optimal dose for enhancing immunogenicity against MA. Functional effects were then assessed using MA-induced locomotor activation in mice. Experiments using passive immunization …


Sars-Cov-2 Invasion And Pathological Links To Prion Disease, Walter J. Lukiw, Vivian R. Jaber, Aileen I. Pogue, Yuhai Zhao Sep 2022

Sars-Cov-2 Invasion And Pathological Links To Prion Disease, Walter J. Lukiw, Vivian R. Jaber, Aileen I. Pogue, Yuhai Zhao

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the COVID-19 disease, is a highly infectious and transmissible viral pathogen that continues to impact human health globally. Nearly ~600 million people have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, and about half exhibit some degree of continuing health complication, generically referred to as long COVID. Lingering and often serious neurological problems for patients in the post-COVID-19 recovery period include brain fog, behavioral changes, confusion, delirium, deficits in intellect, cognition and memory issues, loss of balance and coordination, problems with vision, visual processing and hallucinations, encephalopathy, encephalitis, neurovascular or cerebrovascular insufficiency, and/or …


Sars-Cov-2 Neuroinvasion, Inflammatory Neurodegeneration And Alzheimer's Disease, Yuhai Zhao, Walter J. Lukiw Jun 2022

Sars-Cov-2 Neuroinvasion, Inflammatory Neurodegeneration And Alzheimer's Disease, Yuhai Zhao, Walter J. Lukiw

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Microrna, The Innate-Immune System And Sars-Cov-2, James M. Hill, Walter J. Lukiw Jun 2022

Microrna, The Innate-Immune System And Sars-Cov-2, James M. Hill, Walter J. Lukiw

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The single-stranded viral RNA (ssvRNA) known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes COVID-19 can be effectively inactivated by a number of natural ribonucleic acid-based host cell defenses. One of the most important of these defenses includes the actions of a class of small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs) known as microRNAs (miRNAs). Via base-pair complementarity miRNAs are capable of specifically targeting ssvRNA sequences such as SARS-CoV-2 promoting its inactivation and neutralization. RNA-sequencing and bioinformatics analysis indicate that multiple naturally-occurring human miRNAs have extensive complementarity to the SARS-CoV-2 ssvRNA genome. Since miRNA abundance, speciation, and complexity vary significantly …


Ulnar Nerve Palsy As Covid-19 Sequelae In 3 Patients, Cristina Terhoeve, Ryan Bliss, Rasheed Ahmad May 2022

Ulnar Nerve Palsy As Covid-19 Sequelae In 3 Patients, Cristina Terhoeve, Ryan Bliss, Rasheed Ahmad

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The pathophysiology and treatment of COVID-19 have been at the forefront of medical research this past year. While great strides have been made in our knowledge of the disease, there is still much that is unknown. More than one-third of patients with COVID-19 present with symptoms involving the nervous system. The reason for this is unclear, although several theories have been postulated. In this case study, we present 3 patients with severe ulnar nerve dysfunction following treatment for COVID-19 in the intensive care unit. We discuss reasons why this may have occurred, the etiology of which is likely multifactorial. We …


Attenuated Negative Feedback In Monocyte-Derived Macrophages From Persons Living With Hiv: A Role For Ikaros, Celeste Faia, Karlie Plaisance-Bonstaff, Cecilia Vittori, Dorota Wyczechowska, Adam Lassak, Mary Meyaski-Schluter, Krzysztof Reiss, Francesca Peruzzi Nov 2021

Attenuated Negative Feedback In Monocyte-Derived Macrophages From Persons Living With Hiv: A Role For Ikaros, Celeste Faia, Karlie Plaisance-Bonstaff, Cecilia Vittori, Dorota Wyczechowska, Adam Lassak, Mary Meyaski-Schluter, Krzysztof Reiss, Francesca Peruzzi

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Persons living with HIV (PLWH) are at higher risk of developing secondary illnesses than their uninfected counterparts, suggestive of a dysfunctional immune system in these individuals. Upon exposure to pathogens, monocytes undergo epigenetic remodeling that results in either a trained or a tolerant phenotype, characterized by hyper-responsiveness or hypo-responsiveness to secondary stimuli, respectively. We utilized CD14+ monocytes from virally suppressed PLWH and healthy controls for in vitro analysis following polarization of these cells toward a pro-inflammatory monocyte-derived macrophage (MDM) phenotype. We found that in PLWH-derived MDMs, pro-inflammatory signals (TNFA, IL6, IL1B, miR-155-5p, and IDO1) dominate over negative feedback signals (NCOR2, …


Role Of Interleukin-1 Family Members And Signaling Pathways In Kshv Pathogenesis, Lindsey Barrett, Jungang Chen, Lu Dai, Karlie Plaisance-Bonstaff, Luis Del Valle, Zhiqiang Qin Oct 2020

Role Of Interleukin-1 Family Members And Signaling Pathways In Kshv Pathogenesis, Lindsey Barrett, Jungang Chen, Lu Dai, Karlie Plaisance-Bonstaff, Luis Del Valle, Zhiqiang Qin

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.


Endocrine Significance Of Sars-Cov-2'S Reliance On Ace2, Eric Lazartigues, Mirza Muhammad Fahd Qadir, Franck Mauvais-Jarvis Jul 2020

Endocrine Significance Of Sars-Cov-2'S Reliance On Ace2, Eric Lazartigues, Mirza Muhammad Fahd Qadir, Franck Mauvais-Jarvis

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The current COVID-19 pandemic is the most disruptive event in the past 50 years, with a global impact on health care and world economies. It is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), a coronavirus that uses angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) as an entry point to the cells. ACE2 is a transmembrane carboxypeptidase and member of the renin-angiotensin system. This mini-review summarizes the main findings regarding ACE2 expression and function in endocrine tissues. We discuss rapidly evolving knowledge on the potential role of ACE2 and SARS coronaviruses in endocrinology and the development of diabetes mellitus, hypogonadism, and pituitary and …


A Mirna Signature For Cognitive Deficits And Alcohol Use Disorder In Persons Living With Hiv/Aids, Dorota Wyczechowska, Hui-Yi Lin, Andrea Laplante, Duane Jeansonne, Adam Lassak, Christopher H. Parsons, Patricia E. Molina, Francesca Peruzzi Nov 2017

A Mirna Signature For Cognitive Deficits And Alcohol Use Disorder In Persons Living With Hiv/Aids, Dorota Wyczechowska, Hui-Yi Lin, Andrea Laplante, Duane Jeansonne, Adam Lassak, Christopher H. Parsons, Patricia E. Molina, Francesca Peruzzi

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) affects more than half of persons living with HIV-1/AIDS (PLWHA). Identification of biomarkers representing the cognitive status of PLWHA is a critical step for implementation of successful cognitive, behavioral and pharmacological strategies to prevent onset and progression of HAND. However, the presence of co-morbidity factors in PLWHA, the most common being substance abuse, can prevent the identification of such biomarkers. We have optimized a protocol to profile plasma miRNAs using quantitative RT-qPCR and found a miRNA signature with very good discriminatory ability to distinguish PLWHA with cognitive impairment from those without cognitive impairment. Here, we have …


Hiv-1-Tat Protein Inhibits Sc35-Mediated Tau Exon 10 Inclusion Through Up-Regulation Of Dyrk1a Kinase, Ferdous Kadri, Marco Pacifici, Anna Wilk, Amanda Parker-Struckhoff, Luis Del Valle, Kurt F. Hauser, Pamela E. Knapp, Christopher Parsons, Duane Jeansonne, Adam Lassak, Francesca Peruzzi Nov 2015

Hiv-1-Tat Protein Inhibits Sc35-Mediated Tau Exon 10 Inclusion Through Up-Regulation Of Dyrk1a Kinase, Ferdous Kadri, Marco Pacifici, Anna Wilk, Amanda Parker-Struckhoff, Luis Del Valle, Kurt F. Hauser, Pamela E. Knapp, Christopher Parsons, Duane Jeansonne, Adam Lassak, Francesca Peruzzi

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The HIV-1 transactivator protein Tat is implicated in the neuronal damage that contributes to neurocognitive impairment affecting people living with HIV/AIDS. Aberrant splicing of TAU exon 10 results in tauopathies characterized by alterations in the proportion of TAU isoforms containing three (3R) or four (4R) microtubule-binding repeats. The splicing factor SC35/SRSF2 binds to nuclear RNA and facilitates the incorporation of exon 10 in the TAU molecule. Here, we utilized clinical samples, an animal model, and neuronal cell cultures and found that Tat promotes TAU 3R up-regulation through increased levels of phosphorylated SC35, which is retained in nuclear speckles. This mechanism …