IISER MOHALI

Immune activation associated with chronic HIV, despite low virologic load is the cause of multiple co-morbidities. Continued observance of abnormal immune regulation in antiretroviral-treated, immune-restored, HIV-infected patients suggests an immunological dysregulation that is comparable to that seen in normal individuals (> 60 years of age), implying accelerated aging. We assessed ocular changes associated with HIV+ infection in a cohort of HIV+ patients to see if these changes are comparable with the aging HIV seronegative population. In tandem, we find that specific glucose metabolism demands of immune cells during an infection significantly increased surface expression of Glucose transporter. In an in vitro model with retinal Muller glial cells, exposure to HIV Tat protein which induces inflammation even without active infection, also leads to Glucose transporter-1 expression and cellular uptake of the fluorescent glucose analog 2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol-4-yl) amino)-2 deoxyglucose. HIV infection is associated with increased glucose metabolism in subsets of immune cells in HIV-infected subjects and Glut1 expression by proinflammatory HIV Tat in Muller glia is a potential marker of inflammation. Metabolic dysregulation and secondary or chronic inflammation may drive immunosenescence and can lead to serious non-AIDS events at the eye in HIV-positive people of less than 50 years, even though they do not manifest visual complaints.

About the Speaker: Dr. Nivedita Chatterjee trained as a biochemist from the Maharaja Sayaji Rao University, Vadodara. She did her Ph.D in the field of neuroscience from the Johannes Gutenberg Universitaet, Mainz, Germany. A central theme of her research is elucidating the role of glial cells in normal functioning of the brain as well as in pathological situations, in particular, during neuro-inflammation and neuro-degeneration. Current research involves elucidating changes at the retina during infectious diseases through experimental cell and molecular biology techniques as well as optometry examination in patients. Along with in vitro model she works with patients to look at biomarkers in the blood and tears in conjunction with non-invasive optometry techniques. At Vision Research Foundation, Chennai, her work has been addressing questions on immunity at the retina particularly in chronic infections and glial roles using the retina as model system to validate many of the lead in patient samples. The research has direct application to immune reconstitution inflammatory syndromes. In addition to being an experimentalist, she collaborates with theoreticians in identifying patterns in neuronal network and the importance of such motifs in neuroeconomics of the C.elegans nervous system.