Journal Article

The cGAS-STING pathway in HIV-1 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis coinfection

Han, Fangping, Zhang, Xin, Wang, Xiuwen, Sun, Jin, Moog, Christiane, Zhang, Conggang, Su, Bin, Yan, Hongxia, Han, Xiaoxu

2025

Overview

Mycobacterium tuberculosis ( M. tuberculosis ) infection is the most common opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1)-infected individuals, and the mutual reinforcement of these two pathogens may accelerate disease progression and lead to rapid mortality. Therefore, HIV-1/ M. tuberculosis coinfection is one of the major global public health concerns. HIV-1 infection is the greatest risk factor for M. tuberculosis infection and increases the likelihood of endogenous relapse and exogenous reinfection with M. tuberculosis . Moreover, M. tuberculosis further increases HIV-1 replication and the occurrence of chronic immune activation, accelerating the progression of HIV-1 disease. Exploring the pathogenesis of HIV-1/ M. tuberculosis coinfections is essential for the development of novel treatments to reduce the global burden of tuberculosis. Innate immunity, which is the first line of host immune defense, plays a critical role in resisting HIV-1 and M. tuberculosis infections. The role of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate–adenosine monophosphate synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway, which is a major DNA-sensing innate immune signaling pathway, in HIV-1 infection and M. tuberculosis infection has been intensively studied. This paper reviews the role of the cGAS-STING signaling pathway in HIV-1 infection and M. tuberculosis infection and discusses the possible role of this pathway in HIV-1/ M. tuberculosis coinfection to provide new insight into the pathogenesis of HIV-1/ M. tuberculosis coinfection and the development of novel therapeutic strategies.

• Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adenosine monophosphate / AMP / Coinfection - immunology / Coinfection - microbiology / Coinfection - virology / Cyclic GMP / disease progression / Family Medicine / General Practice / guanosine / HIV / HIV infections / HIV Infections - complications / HIV Infections - immunology / HIV Infections - metabolism / HIV Infections - virology / HIV-1 / Human immunodeficiency virus / Human immunodeficiency virus 1 / Humans / Immune response / Immune system / Immunity, Innate / Infections / Infectious Diseases / Innate immunity / interferons / Internal Medicine / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Membrane Proteins - metabolism / mixed infection / mortality / Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Nucleotidyltransferases - metabolism / Opportunist infection / opportunistic infection / Pathogenesis / Public health / relapse / Review / Risk factors / Signal Transduction / Stimulators / therapeutics / Tuberculosis / Tuberculosis - complications / Tuberculosis - immunology / Tuberculosis - metabolism