Since the introduction of the combination anti-retroviral therapy (cART) in the mid-90s, the life expectancy of HIV patients has significantly improved. As a result, long-term complications are becoming more relevant: almost every second HIV patient is affected by neurocognitive disorders, which can lead to dementia. Researchers have now successfully identified mechanisms how infected cells can activate brain-specific immune cells which subsequently display harmful behaviour and lead to the destruction of neurons.