Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 (HIV-1)

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a retrovirus and the primary causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It infects human immune cells, leading to progressive immune system failure. HIV-1 virions are approximately 100–120 nm in diameter and contain a lipid envelope with viral glycoproteins gp120 and gp41. Beneath the envelope lies the matrix protein p17, which surrounds a conical capsid made of p24 protein. The capsid encloses two copies of positive-sense single-stranded RNA (~9.7 kb each), tightly bound by nucleocapsid proteins p7 and p6. Also within the core: essential enzymes reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease; accessory proteins Vif, Vpr, Nef; regulatory proteins Tat and Rev; unique HIV-1 protein Vpu.

Inhibition of viral replication through targeting viral enzymes or entry mechanisms.