Protease uninhibited

Article Abstract:

J.H. Condra and colleagues have observed that the beneficial effects of MK-639 which inhibits the protease activity of HIV dissipates within 6-12 months because the virus mutates into a highly resistant form. HIV protease has remarkable mutability and Condra's group has shown that this virus becomes resistant to MK-639 after cumulative acquisition of six or more protease mutations,resulting in 1,000 fold reduction in viral drug-susceptibility and wider cross-resistance to other inhibitors. However, the mutations may still slow the infection's progression while MK-639 may also be valuable for convergent therapy.

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Playing chess with reverse transcriptase

Article Abstract:

Yung-Kang Chow and colleagues are working on encouraging the body to produce a combination of resistance mutations through nucleoside chemotherapy that may inhibit or disable the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Their work involves non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase nevirapine and the nucleoside AZT which both inhibit reverse transcriptase as well as HIV replication. This therapy, called convergent combination therapy, may work unless the HIV virus is able to mutate and avoid the inhibitors.

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HIV chemotherapy

Article Abstract:

Issues are presented concerning the suppression of human immunodeficiency virus replication through the use of chemotherapy. The development of drug-resistance by the virus and the toxicity of the chemotherapy are discussed.

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