Human Immune Deficiency (HIV)?

Question

HIV has become one of the most feared diseases of the world community in the last few decades. Antiviral drugs have been developed that help treat the disease, although no cure has yet been found. Many pharmaceutical approaches are being investigated to battle the disease. Using what you know about how HIV infects human cells and the body's own cellular structure, answer the following questions in one or two well-developed paragraphs for each part of the question.

One possible way to combat HIV invasion of the cell is to develop a drug which could destroy the "envelope" that surrounds the HIV particle.

1. Explain the function of this envelope and how the drug would help stop HIV infection.

2. Why has this approach NOT been used on people?

3. Reverse transcriptase inhibitors are currently used in AIDS treatments. These drugs act by inhibiting reverse transcriptase activity. Explain the function of reverse transcriptase inhibitors and how this drug would help stop HIV infection

Answer 1

1. To answer your first question, I would say you are right to mention about the "virus envelope" but before I write anything...kindly CLICK to HAVE a look at the virion stucture with the "ENVELOPE"...

http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/Medici...

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The viral envelope

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HIV has a diameter of 1/10,000 of a millimeter and is spherical in shape. The outer coat of the virus, known as the viral envelope, is composed of two layers of fatty molecules called lipids, taken from the membrane of a human cell when a newly formed virus particle buds from the cell. Evidence indicates that HIV may enter and exit cells through special areas of the cell membrane known as 'lipid rafts' (more info). These rafts are high in cholesterol and glycolipids and may provide a new target for blocking HIV. ( EXTRACT of above link)

READ THE REST PART .....here

http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/Medici...

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READ care fully ABOUT

1. THE VIRAL CORE and about the chemistry (STRUCTURAL)

http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/Medici...

2. ABOUT REPLICATION>>translation and so on ( these are next paras)

http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/Medici...

3. GO AHEAD and raed about

ASSEMBLY & BUDDING ( link- EXTRACT)

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http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/Medici...

...................Newly made HIV proteins and genomic RNA gather inside the cell and an immature viral particle forms and buds off from the cell (left picture), acquiring an envelope that includes both cellular and HIV proteins from the cell membrane. During this part of the viral life cycle, the core of the virus is immature and the virus is not yet infectious. The precusor proteins (gag and pol) that make up the immature viral core are now cut into smaller functional proteins by the viral protease. This step results in infectious virions.

http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/Medici...

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DRUG- here is a DRUG !!

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4. Drugs are called protease inhibitors interfere with this step of the viral life cycle. FDA has approved a few such drugs ( go for more info).

http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/Medici...

THIS site included BENEATH gives answers to your 2nd and 3 rd questions about reverse transcr. inhibitor and all other remedies........................

KINDLY  click to VISIT

http://www.web-books.com/eLibrary/Medici...

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I think YOU are satisfied and got the exact answer you were hunting for:)

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But want some more fine links? Are you hungry...have more!

http://www.indiandoctors.com/disease_foc...

http://www.aegis.com/topics/basics/hivan...

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/dept/biol/docum...

http://www.utoronto.ca/aidsethiopia/HIVA...

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