Research project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Research project - Essay Example does not cure AIDS or eliminate the virus from the body. Higher rates of success have been achieved with a cocktail of a variety of medications, including both protease inhibitors and reverse transcriptase inhibitors. "Efavirenz (Sustiva), another type of reverse transcriptase inhibitor, must be taken with protease inhibitors or older AIDS medicines. Opportunistic infections are treated with various antibiotics and antivirals, and patients with malignancies may undergo chemotherapy. These measures may prolong life or improve the quality of life, but drugs for AIDS treatment may also produce painful or debilitating side effects." (Muir, 1991) Protease inhibitors, first approved in 1995, were designed for use in combination with reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The AIDS cocktail or triple-combination therapy, consists of a protease inhibitor and two reverse transcriptase inhibitors such as AZT and 3TC. Protease inhibitors work by disrupting the HIV replication cycle. "Protease is another enzyme that is essential in the replication of HIV, but rather than acting on the process of genetic transcription, protease is necessary for breaking down viral proteins into the proper components for the maturation of new virus particles." In the absence of protease, the formation of viral proteins is incomplete, slowing the process of the virus. When taken together, the actions of reverse transcriptase inhibitors work in the early stages of the syndrome, while protease inhibitors interrupt processes in the final stages of maturation of new virus particles. (Henkel, 1999) Clinical trials have demonstrated the effectiveness of this combination therapy and resulted in an advancement in the... Elwood, William N., ed. Power in the Blood: A Handbook on AIDS, Politics, and Communication. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1999. Questia. 9 Mar. 2007 . Mitchell, Christopher G., and Nathan L. Linsk. "A Multidimensional Conceptual Framework for Understanding HIV/AIDS as a Chronic Long-Term Illness." Social Work 49.3 (2004): 469+. Questia. 8 Mar. 2007 .