An antibiotic is getting attention for its possible protective effects against brain disease linked to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. In a study in The Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers report that the antibiotic minocycline helped curb brain inflammation and protect brain tissue in monkeys with an HIV-like infection. So far, minocycline has not been tested against HIV-related brain disease in people. The researchers do not make recommendations for people with HIV. Instead, they say their findings “provide evidence for designing human studies” to examine minocycline further, suggesting that it might be useful in addition to the drugs prescribed to manage HIV. The researchers believe this is the first report demonstrating anti-inflammatory and nerve-protecting activity of an antibiotic against a highly pathogenic virus. Given that the prevalence of HIV-related central nervous system disease (that of the brain and spinal cord) has not declined, this finding may have important implications for future studies on the prevention and treatment of HIV, they say. HIV can trigger disease in many parts of the body, including the brain and spinal cord. Diseases such as encephalitis -- inflammation of the brain -- are usually seen in the later stages of HIV infection. About Minocycline: Minocycline is inexpensive, widely available, considered safe, and has been around for years, say M. Christine Zink, DVM, PhD, and colleagues in the April 27 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
