AIDS and the Development of Anti-human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV)Drugs

The unprecedented speed with which the etiologic agent of AIDS, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) , was isolated and characterized, and then effective drugs were discovered remarkably. Discovery of some anti-HIV compounds suggested that the antiviral chemotherapy of AIDS was fesible, and opened the search for more potent and more selective anti-HIV agents. In the past two years, HIV-infected patients have been treated with combinations of drugs which inhibit enzymes present in HIV but not in human. Most have thereupon become able to forestall or even overcome opportunistic infections, and have exhibited decresed quantities of viral load and increased numbers of CD4 Iymphocytes. In addition, HIV coreceptors, CXCR4 and CCR5,were identified and their important roles for virus entry would be disclosuring. This review will focus on the latest basic research of AIDS and anti-HIV drug development.