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The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans.Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), [1] [2] a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. [3]
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [8] [9] [10] is a retrovirus [11] that attacks the immune system.It is a preventable disease. [5] It can be managed with treatment and become a manageable chronic health condition. [5]
After the virus enters the body there is a period of rapid viral replication, leading to an abundance of virus in the peripheral blood. During primary infection, the level of HIV may reach several million virus particles per milliliter of blood. [2] This response is accompanied by a marked drop in the numbers of circulating CD4 + T cells.
The HIV-1 virus has proved to be tenacious, inserting its genome permanently into patients' DNA, forcing patients to take a lifelong drug regimen to control the virus and prevent a fresh attack. Now, a team of Temple University School of Medicine researchers have designed a way to "snip out" the integrated HIV-1 genes for good. This is one ...
The genome and proteins of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) have been the subject of extensive research since the discovery of the virus in 1983. [1] [2] "In the search for the causative agent, it was initially believed that the virus was a form of the Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV), which was known at the time to affect the human immune system and cause certain leukemias.
HIV-2 viruses are generally considered to be less virulent and less transmissible than HIV-1 M group viruses, although HIV-2 is also known to still cause AIDS. One of the prevailing challenges in the pursuit of effective management of HIV is the virus's pronounced genetic variability and rapid viral evolution. [3]
HIV superinfection may be interclade, where the second infecting virus is phylogenetically distinct from the initial virus, or intraclade, where the two strains are monophyletic. [2] People with HIV risk superinfection by the same actions that would place a non-infected person at risk of acquiring HIV.
A small proportion of humans show partial or apparently complete innate resistance to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. [1] The main mechanism is a mutation of the gene encoding CCR5, which acts as a co-receptor for HIV. It is estimated that the proportion of people with some form of resistance to HIV is under 10%. [2]