The, Escape Proof Hiv Inhibitor - 2067 Words

NTRODUCTION An impermeable, escape-proof HIV inhibitor is yet to be discovered, more so engineered; however many scientists continue to expand the possibilities of HIV inhibition through renowned cutting edge research. Retroviral pathogenesis of HIV has been targeted at multiple stages of viral entry, replication, and release, with the most promising points of drug target being the initial interaction between the CD4 T-cell and the envelope mediated fusion of the HIV virion with the CD4+ Helper T-cell. Currently, HIV entry (fusion) inhibitors range from small lectins found in algae, to antibody based peptides, to elemental nanoparticles, and each targets a specific step, or multiple sequential steps, in the HIV entry process. Currently,†¦show more content†¦Presently, the predominant virus is HIV-1, and generally when people refer to HIV without specifying the type of virus they will be referring to HIV-1. The relatively uncommon HIV-2 type is concentrated in West Africa and is rarely f ound anywhere else. There are currently over 34 million cases of this disease reported worldwide.3 This disease is very slow to develop and may not cause any significant symptoms before it causes damage, as it is seen a person can have an HIV infection for years before it progresses to AIDS. Usually, people infected with HIV progress to AIDS when their CD4 cell count falls below 200. VIRAL LIFE CYCLE The main steps in the viral life cycle are (i) attachment of the viral gp120 to the CD4 T cell receptor, (ii) binding of the gp120 to CCR5 or CXCR4 co-receptors and (iii) fusion of the viral and cellular membranes HIV entry into the cell is mediated by its trimeric envelope (Env) glycoprotein gp120/gp41 complex and it happens in two major steps. [1, 2, 4] First, the surface subunit gp120 binds to the cell receptor (CD4) and a co receptor (CCR5 or CXCR4). Upon receptor binding, the gp41 which is originally sheltered by gp 120, undergoes a dramatic transition from its native state into an extended pre-hair pin intermediate. Then, the transmembrane subunit gp41 inserts its fusion peptide (FP) into the cell membrane and packs