P2RX7 and sensory peripheral neuropathy: Mechanistically, HIV binding to macrophages triggers a local release of ATP that stimulates purinergic receptors and facilitates HIV entry and the subsequent stages of viral replication.61,62 In addition to viral entry and replication, the role of purinergic receptors is also described in HIV-associated sensory neuropathy, a condition that includes pain, burning, and numbness due to the damage of nerve fibers that innervate distal limbs, particularly the feet.63,64