HIV and Drugs of Abuse, 3rd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Substance use disorders and HIV infection are long-standing public health concerns and frequent comorbidities. HIV continues to cause neurocognitive deficits despite highly effective anti-retroviral therapies that lead to viral suppression. Combined with the neurobehavioral factors underlying substance use and the neurological consequences of addictive drugs, HIV-associated neurological disorders present a range of distinctive characteristics, and there is still no treatment available. The modulation of immune functions by the actions of neurotransmitters released under the influence of such drugs may be one reason for the aggravating effects of addiction on HIV-associated disorders in the central nervous system. Among the addictive drugs, methamphetamine and other stimulants are highly detrimental due to the associated risky behaviors, and due to their effects on neurotransmitters interfering with cellular responses. Given that innate and adaptive immune cells express neurotransmitter receptors, HIV target cells in the context of substance use respond differently than in non-users, particularly in the brain. Polysubstance use is highly prevalent among individuals with addictive behaviors, further complicating the picture. In this Special Issue of Viruses, we aim at integrating information derived from research with humans and animal models, as well as in cells of the immune system, thus providing a unique multidimentional and translational perspective of the clinical and mechanistic interactions between HIV and drugs of abuse that contribute to neurological disorders. Original work performed by interdisciplinary teams will be showcased.

Dr. Maria Cecilia Garibaldi Marcondes
Prof. Dr. Marcus Kaul
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Viruses is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• substance use disorders
• HIV
• HAND
• methamphetamine