BDNF and infectious meningitis: Increased BDNF synthesis during the acute phase of meningitis could stimulate proliferation of dentate granule cells and promote neurogenesis after bacterial meningitis [17]; however, this self-reparative capacity is insufficient, given that most newly generated cells are unable to differentiate into immature neurons and neurons in experimental S. pneumoniae meningitis [9], which worsens as BDNF decreases over time.