Impact of the opiate-chemokine interaction in HAND
Discoveries concerning the regulation of the CXCR4 chemokine receptors by opiates, including morphine, have revealed unexpected factors responsible for HIV neuropathology that may be particularly relevant to the HIV+ population of drug users. Importantly, these studies have unveiled a novel function of the iron storage protein ferritin heavy chain, which may have much larger implications both within and outside the CNS.