NATURA THERAPEUTICS, INC. — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: 213

Description

DESCRIPTION provided by applicant We designed an experiment to understand the interactions between loss of development of new neurons neurogenesis in the brain HIV Tat protein and the known cognitive side effects imparted by chronic highly active antiretroviral therapy HAART We preliminarily found the common HAART combination for HIV patients lamivudine zidovudine efavirenz TC AZT EFV reduced primary neural stem cell proliferation in vitro increased NSC mitochondrial oxidative stress and that these could be opposed in vitro by NutraStem r We also show this regimen decreases hippocampal neurogenesis in vivo We hypothesize NutraStem r will oppose HAART and Tat mediated neurogenesis pathology by reducing the effect of these two components on mitochondrial stress in turn promoting neurogenesis and reducing neurocognitive deficits in HIV Tat transgenic mice Here we plan to characterize neurocognition and neurogenesis in HIV Tat mice chronically treated with HAART EFV or EFV TC AZT should lead to advanced neurocognitive deficits in these mice that should be enhanced by brain HIV Tat expression which that can be correlated with decreases in neurogenesis compared to control AZT or TC treated mice NutraStem r should attenuate this phenomenon We expect that other indicators of this NutraStem r mediated neuroprotection will include a reduction of memory problems which will be tested and brain mitochondrial stress in the Tat HAART exposed mice This study is expected to describe the long term consequences of chronic Tat expression with use of a common HAART regimen plus a neuroprotectant NutraStem r in terms of neurogenesis and cognitive deficits It should lay the foundation for effective strategies to prevent these interactions between Tat HAART and neurogenesis in the future in the context of a known HAART mediated pathophysiological mechanism PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE Neurocognitive deficits have been associated with decreased adherence among HIV positive adults They have also been positively correlated with Tat mediated reduced neurogenesis in the brain as well as chronic HAART use These trends underscore the need for a better understanding of the impact of a need for a neuroprotectant in HAART treated patients This is especially true as patients with HIV are now aging itself being a risk factor neurodegenerative disease Our proposal addresses these trends by examining the synergistic effects of Tat cognitive impairment and chronic HAART administration on reduced hippocampal neurogenesis in a transgenic HIV Tat expressing mouse model