Anti-HIV Drug Discovery Products

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a member of the genus Lentivirus in the family Retroviridae, is a highly infectious and deadly pathogen that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This virus attacks the human immune system, leaving the body highly susceptible to a variety of infections and illnesses. The virus can survive for several days outside the body, and its transmission is facilitated by poor hygiene or inadequate sterilization techniques.

The HIV is a negative-sense, single-strand, enveloped RNA virus. Its genome is approximately 9000 bases long and encodes proteins including envelope (Env), gag, pol, and rev. The Env protein is the main structural protein of the virus, playing an important role in the entry of the virus into host cells. Gag is a group of internal structural proteins that are important for virus assembly and release. Pol encodes the viral enzymes, including reverse transcriptase (RT) and protease (PR), which are necessary for virus replication. Rev is a regulatory protein that controls the expression of the viral genome.