Our lab, in collaboration with Dr. Renato Brandimarti (University of Bologna) has developed a novel approach to study lipid raft alterations in HAND utilizing the Herpes Simplex Virus 1 transport protein US9. This protein localizes to lipid rafts and can be engineered to carry fluorescent reporter proteins and functional enzymes, allowing for intensive study of lipid raft modifications caused by HIV proteins and delivery of therapeutic cargo to these specific membrane micro-domains. Targeting lipid raft enzymes that produce β-Amyloid with the help of US9 may represent a novel therapeutic approach to cognitive impairment in HAND. [Pubs: Pedrazzi et al PLoS One 2014; Brandimarti et al Scientific Reports 2017]