AUTHOR=Swartz Talia H. , Dubyak George R. , Chen Benjamin K. 

TITLE=Purinergic Receptors: Key Mediators of HIV-1 Infection and Inflammation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 6 - 2015

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2015.00585

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2015.00585

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) causes a chronic infection that afflicts more than 38 million individuals worldwide. While the infection can be suppressed with potent anti-retroviral therapies, individuals infected with HIV have elevated levels of inflammation as indicated by increased T cell activation, soluble biomarkers, and associated morbidity and mortality. A single mechanism linking HIV pathogenesis to this inflammation has yet to be identified. Purinergic receptors are known to mediate inflammation and have been shown to be required for HIV-1 infection at the level of HIV-1 membrane fusion. Here we review the literature on the role of purinergic receptors in HIV-1 infection and associated inflammation and describe a role for these receptors as potential therapeutic targets.