The Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( Hiv ) - 2212 Words

HIV is known as one of the great pandemics in history, and it is most prevalent in western Africa. Even with new scientific discoveries and improved technology, vaccines are consistently unsuccessful because the virus is able to mutate very quickly and make many errors in the process, which makes it extremely difficult for researchers to formulate a vaccine. The virus can be treated with antiretroviral drugs, but many people being treated do not adhere to the regimen, causing the virus to worsen and drug resistant strains to develop. HIV affects people in all parts of the world, and there are many ethical issues regarding the vaccine trials that have been conducted, especially in developing countries. Literature Review The human†¦show more content†¦HIV is transmitted sexually, or through blood (blood transfusions and infected needles). HIV is single stranded RNA virus in the Retroviridae family and in a subgroup called lentiviruses, which are considered to be â€Å"slow viruses.† The virus attaches to a dendritic cell, which is found in mucous membranes, then is transported to the lymph nodes. Here, other immune cells can become infected. In order for the virus to become a part of human cell’s genes, the RNA needs to convert to DNA by using reverse transcriptase. In order for the virus to replicate, it must attach to the CD4+ receptor and co-receptor that are on the CD4 cell. Once the HIV viral envelope has fused with the CD4 membrane, HIV is able to enter the cell and expel its contents (the two copies of RNA). Now in the cytoplasm, the viral RNA is converted to DNA. The DNA needs to be made more functional, so it is cut into smaller pieces by protease. Th e new HIV DNA is now able to travel to the nucleus where integrase is used to insert the viral DNA into the host cell’s DNA. If activated, it uses the CD4 cell to make chains of HIV proteins; however, if not activated, the virus can lie dormant for many years. Noninfectious HIV then buds from the CD4 cell and releases protease, which breaks up the noninfectious virus. Infectious HIV is created from combining the broken up proteins, and thousands of HIV particles can be made from one