Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 replication pathway (HIV-1 replication pathway) (HIV-1 replication pathway)

The Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication pathway is the complex series of biological events through which the virus infects host cells, replicates its genetic material, and produces new infectious progeny (NIH, 2021). The cycle initiates with the binding of viral gp120 to host CD4 receptors and co-receptors (CCR5 or CXCR4), leading to membrane fusion and entry (StatPearls, 2023). Once inside, the viral RNA is reverse-transcribed into DNA by reverse transcriptase, which is then integrated into the host cell's genome by integrase to serve as a template for viral protein synthesis (Nature Reviews Microbiology, 2015). New virions are assembled at the cell membrane, bud off, and are matured by the viral protease enzyme into infectious particles (PubMed, 2018). Pharmacological management of HIV-1 involves combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) that targets various stages of this pathway, including entry, reverse transcription, integration, and maturation, to effectively suppress viral replication and prevent the progression to AIDS (WHO, 2023).

Other names

HIV-1 life cycleHIV-1 replication cycleHIV-1 infection cycle

Inhibition of specific viral enzymes including reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease, or blocking viral entry and capsid function (NIH, 2023).