Molecular targets for AIDS therapy.
The development of antiretroviral therapy against acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been an intense research effort since the discovery of the causative agent, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). A large array of drugs and biologic substances can inhibit HIV replication in vitro. Nucleoside analogs--particularly those belonging to the dideoxynucleoside family--can inhibit reverse transcriptase after anabolic phosphorylation. 3'-Azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) was the first such drug tested in individuals with AIDS, and considerable knowledge of structure-activity relations has emerged for this class of drugs. However, virtually every step in the replication of HIV could serve as a target for a new therapeutic intervention. In the future, non-nucleoside-type drugs will likely become more important in the experimental therapy of AIDS, and antiretroviral therapy will exert major effects against the morbidity and mortality caused by HIV.
National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
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D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015195:Drug Design; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015394:Molecular Structure; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000187:drug effects; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase