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The first is by stopping the viral enzyme that converts the viral
RNA into DNA. If the RNA is not converted into DNA then it can't
be incorporated into the host cells DNA.
The virus is then not replicated by the host cells own cellular
machinery. This type of therapy is effective in stopping the virus
from replicating in cells it has newly infected but it is not effective
if the virus has already infected a cell and has incorporated its
genetic material into the host cells DNA.
The second way is by inhibiting an enzyme called protease that
is involved in processing some of the newly produced viral proteins
before the finished viral particle buds off from the host cell.
The best currently available treatment is HAART (highly active
antiretroviral therapy) which consists of a cocktail of antiretroviral
drugs that together effectively combat HIV proliferation. Although
antiretroviral therapies are effective at stopping HIV replicating
they do not completely eliminate HIV from the infected host.
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Other therapies that are under development include drugs to
stop viral DNA from being incorporated into the host cells DNA.
This incorporation of viral DNA into host cell DNA is performed
by an enzyme called integrase and drugs are being developed to block
its activity.
Viral RNA is converted into DNA before being incorporated
into host cell DNA by the enzyme integrase
Copyright (c) Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH
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Research has been ongoing for a substantial period of time now
to develop a vaccine to HIV. Although this showed promise in the
early days it has proven to be technically quite difficult and the
first vaccines are not optimistically expected onto the market for
approximately a decade.
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