Do an Internet search on the “lifecycle of HIV” and “drug therapy for HIV.” Write a paragraph on the lifecycle of HIV and how drug therapies target this lifecycle to prevent the replication of HIV in the human body.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The lifecycle of HIV can be found at several Web sites, some including video movies.
Mention that HIV is a retrovirus (RNA containing virus) that incorporates into a particular
T cell (immune cell) DNA, hijacks the cell’s structures for its own replication, kills the
cell releasing large amounts of replicated virus that infects more T cells, and initially
incorporates and is not expressed for up to 10 years. People who have the virus may not
develop aquired immunodefi ciency syndrome (AIDS) if the virus is not allowed to replicate and, therefore, kill T cells. Drug therapy usually involves several drugs
that target diff erent aspects of the lifecycle such as replication of the virus
and the enzymes that the virus makes for its survival. HIV is transmitted
through sex, the sharing of needles, and blood but not by kissing, holding
hands, or sharing food.