Targeting HIV: Past, Present and Future

Michele      D. Zeier; Jean      B. Nachega

Abstract

Since the identification of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as the cause of the syndrome of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), there has been an evolution of compounds targeting the replication of the virus in an effort to delay clinical progression. In this review, we revise the mechanism of action of the different groups of drugs. We shortly revisit the older and perhaps lesser used as well as the more recently approved drugs and mention some of the compounds still under investigation.

Keywords: Antiretroviral, HIV, review, targets, therapy, AIDS, the mechanism of action of the different groups of drugs, compounds, viral targets, envelope protein, gp120, chemokine co-receptor, immunosuppression, reverse transcriptase, protease inhibitors, apoptosis