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REVIEW article

Front. Neurol.
Sec. Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1479272
This article is part of the Research Topic Neurocognitive Dysfunction in People Living with HIV and the Underlying Brain Mechanisms View all 3 articles

Bridging Brain and Blood: A Prospective View on Neuroimaging-Exosome Correlations in HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders

Provisionally accepted
Haixia Luo Haixia Luo 1Junzhuo Chen Junzhuo Chen 1Jiaojiao Liu Jiaojiao Liu 1Wei Wang Wei Wang 1Chuanke Hou Chuanke Hou 1Xingyuan Jiang Xingyuan Jiang 1Juming Ma Juming Ma 1Xu Fan Xu Fan 1Xire Aili Xire Aili 2Zhongkai Zhou Zhongkai Zhou 1Hongjun Li Hongjun Li 1,2,3*
  • 1 Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
  • 2 Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, Beijing, China
  • 3 Laboratory for Clinical Medcine, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is a complex neurological complication resulting from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, affecting about 50% of individuals with HIV and significantly diminishing their quality of life. HAND includes a variety of cognitive, motor, and behavioral disorders, severely impacting patients' quality of life and social functioning. Although combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has greatly improved the prognosis for HIV patients, the incidence of HAND remains high, underscoring the urgent need to better understand its pathological mechanisms and develop early diagnostic methods. This review highlights the latest advancements in neuroimaging and exosome biomarkers in HAND research. Neuroimaging, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), offers a non-invasive and repeatable method to monitor subtle changes in brain structure and function, potentially detecting early signs of HAND. Meanwhile, exosomes are nano-sized vesicles secreted by cells that serve as key mediators of intercellular communication, playing a crucial role in the neuropathology of HIV and potentially acting as a critical bridge between peripheral blood and central nervous system lesions. Thus, combining plasma exosome biomarkers with indicators derived from neuroimaging scans may enhance the early diagnosis of HAND. This review summarizes evidence supporting the role of exosomes as reliable biomarkers for early detection and management of HAND. Furthermore, we emphasize the correlation between neuroimaging biomarkers and exosome biomarkers and explore their potential combined use. This review discusses the technical challenges and methodological limitations of integrating these two types of biomarkers and proposes future research directions. This multidisciplinary integrative approach not only promises to improve the neurocognitive health management of HIV patients but may also offer valuable insights for research into other neurodegenerative diseases.

    Keywords: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, Neuroimaging, Exosomes, biomarkers, early diagnosis

    Received: 11 Aug 2024; Accepted: 18 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Luo, Chen, Liu, Wang, Hou, Jiang, Ma, Fan, Aili, Zhou and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Hongjun Li, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.