{
  "abstract": "Brain lesions show pronounced regional heterogeneity during chronic or advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; however, the regional neuropathogenesis during the acute phase remains unclear. By establishing an acute simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infection model in rhesus macaques, we found acute infection-induced robust neuroinflammation and neuronal damage. Compared with the cerebral cortex, subcortical nuclei displayed earlier and more severe neuronal degeneration and loss of Nissl bodies, accompanied by greater upregulation of immune-related genes. Although SIV RNA loads in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma were strongly correlated and peaked during acute infection, brain tissues showed no evidence of early viral reservoir establishment. The viral transactivator Tat persisted in CSF and was broadly distributed throughout the brain via passive diffusion along perivascular spaces. Similar transcriptional and inflammatory profiles were observed between macaques with acute infection and mice receiving intracisternal Tat infusions identified Tat as a principal mediator of early SIV-induced neurotoxicity. Microglia in a primed immune-vigilant state exhibited considerable enrichment in subcortical nuclei, driving exaggerated responses to Tat exposure and resulting in region-specific neuropathological outcomes. Collectively, these findings delineate the spatiotemporal landscape of acute HIV/SIV-induced brain injury and establish viral Tat as a mechanistic driver of acute neuropathogenesis.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China.",
    "Key Laboratory of Bioactive Peptides of Yunnan Province, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.",
    "Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China.",
    "Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Yunnan Province, Laboratory of Learning and Memory, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.",
    "KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215021, China.",
    "National Research Facility for Phenotypic and Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650107, China."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Tian-Zhang Song"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        2
      ],
      "name": "Yan Hu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Shi-Zhe Wang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Huan-Zhi Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Bei-Bei Tang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Jin-Nan Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Qing Li"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Rong-Yao Huang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Li-Rong Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Lin Xu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yong-Tang Zheng",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-5469-0324"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9n3z7csakysp5.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1093/lifemedi/lnag033",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13694104",
  "id": "9n3z7csakysp5",
  "issns": [
    "2755-1733"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921619",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2406|HIV Research and Treatment"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7213505161",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13694104?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13694104",
  "pmid": "42921619",
  "published": "2026-09-16",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9n3z7csakysp5.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:21:02Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42921619",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42921619"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "openalex:2406|HIV Research and Treatment",
      "subfield": "microbiology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Brain region-specific lesions in the early AIDS monkey model.",
  "title_text": "Brain region-specific lesions in the early AIDS monkey model.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:21:02Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9n3z7csakysp5",
  "venue": "Life medicine",
  "versions": []
}