Second-Generation HIV Drug that Treats Resistant HIV strains

An article published at the Scientific American website provide information on regarding "second-generation"HIV drug which combats resistant HIV virus.

The exciting drug etravirine (TMC125) is capable of treating HIV virus to the point of becoming undetectable in blood level serum*. Several hundreds to thousands of HIV/AIDS suffers who are becoming non-responsive to HIV cocktail treatments due to resistant AIDS virus. This drug brings hope to treating people with drug-resistant HIV strains.

Just like any other HIV medication, TMC125 is given alongside with other HIV drugs that works by halting the backend DNA viral replication of these particles, thereby, slowing down the progress of developing AIDS. TMC125 works by patching on the targeted opportunities of HIV drugs which failed to serve their function, that is, slowing down the activity of these viruses. All of these HIV drugs are a class of protease inhibitors which works by inhibiting the activity of the protease enzyme (an enzyme responsible for the replication of HIV's genetic material) thereby inhibiting the ability of the HIV virus to replicate itself.

AIDSmeds.com provides a simple yet informative definition of protease inhibitors (PIs): What are Protease Inhibitors (PIs)?

Protease Inhibitors (PIs) are a class of anti-HIV drugs. When one PI is used in combination with other anti-HIV drugs – usually a total of 3 drugs – then this combination therapy can block the replication of HIV in a person's blood.

Protease inhibitors prevent T-cells that have been infected with HIV from producing new copies of the virus.

When HIV infects a cell in a person's body, it copies it's own genetic code into the cell's DNA. In this way, the cell is then "programmed" to create new copies of HIV. Once HIV's genetic material (RNA) is inside a T-cell's DNA, the cell produces a long strand of genetic material that must be cut up and put together correctly to form new copies of the virus. Cutting up this strand requires a scissor-like enzyme called protease. PIs block this enzyme and prevent the cell from producing new viruses.

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