HIV: the virus

In the 25 years since its identification HIV has become the world’s largest public health problem. The immunodeficiency it causes renders individuals susceptible to a wide variety of opportunistic infections and cancers and from the earliest stages of infection it increases the risks and consequences of infection by the other top infectious killer tuberculosis. Vaccine studies have proved disappointing whereas advances in drug therapy have been remarkable. This has been based on a thorough understanding of the molecular biology of the virus. New insights into the virus replication cycle are opening up new drug targets, reinforcing the critical value of this fundamental knowledge. An understanding of virus replication is also highly beneficial for clinicians in selecting and prescribing antiviral agents intelligently, and in explaining the therapies adequately to their patients. This article reviews HIV replication and highlights the important advances which have therapeutic potential.