ZALCITABINE:
A nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor first approved by FDA in 1992 and used in combination with antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV infection in patients 13 years of age and older. Also called ddC, HIVID.
ZERIT:
See Stavudine.
ZIAGEN:
See Abacavir.
ZIDOVUDINE:
A nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor first approved by FDA in 1987 and used in combination with other antiretroviral agents for the treatment of HIV infection in adults and children 3 months to 12 years of age. Also FDA approved (08/08/94) for use in HIV-infected pregnant women beginning between 14 and 34 weeks gestation and during labor, and for use in newborn babies of HIV-infected mothers. Also called AZT, ZDV, and Retrovir and available with Lamivudine as Combivir.
ZINC FINGERS:
Chains of amino acids found in cellular protein which bind to DNA or messenger RNA, and play important roles in a cell's life cycle. They are called zinc fingers because they capture a zinc ion, which contributes to the array's binding to RNA or DNA. There are two zinc fingers in HIV's nucleocapsid. Zinc fingers are involved in binding and packaging viral RNA into new virions budding from an infected host cell. The nucleocapsid protein and the zinc fingers also play a role during the process of reverse transcription (see Reverse Transcriptase).
ZINC FINGER INHIBITORS:
A class of experimental anti-HIV drugs which prevents the nucleocapsid part of the Gag protein of HIV -- which contains the zinc finger amino acids structures -- from capturing and packaging new HIV genetic material into newly budding virions.
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