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Anti-HIV medications battle the enzymes
- All anti-HIV medications attack the virus inside the CD4 cell
where the virus is trying to make copies of itself.
- These medications, called enzyme inhibitors, work by blocking
the enzymes used by HIV.
- There are four types of anti-HIV medications:
- NRTIs (nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors)
- NNRTIs (Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors)
- PIs (Protease inhibitors)
- Entry Inhibitors
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NRTIs and NNRTIs keep HIV from changing
- NRTIs and NNRTIs stop the enzyme "reverse transcriptase"
-- the enzyme HIV uses to change and enter the CD4 cell.
- Unable to change, HIV cannot get into the cell's command center.
- HIV is unable to make new copies of itself.
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PIs stop the assembly of new virus
- PIs stop the enzyme "protease" -- which HIV uses to
cut out and assemble new viral parts.
- Although new viral parts may be produced, the parts don't go
together properly.
- The defective virus cannot go on to infect other cells.
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