Strategies for the Treatment of AIDS

According to the CDC, the diagnosis of AIDS constitutes certain opportunistic infections, neoplasms, encephalopathy or wasting syndrome in the presence of HIV infection. In 1993, the CDC expanded the criteria to also include CD4+ T-cell count below 200 cells/p,l in the presence of HIV infection. The most common opportunistic infections includepneumocystis carinii pneumonia, pneumonitis, toxoplasmosis, mycobacterial disease, recurrent herpes simplex virus infection and/or cytomegalovirus infection. Kaposi s sarcoma is the most common form of cancer. HIV-related nervous system diseases include acute septic meningitis, AIDS dementia complex, subacute encephalitis, HIV encephalopathy and CNS opportunistic infections and neoplasm. 

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The only division in CDER with an established policy regarding pre-IND consultation meetings is the Division of Anti-Viral Drug Products (DAVDP). Established in 1988, the DAVDP pre-IND Consultation Program is a proactive strategy designed to facilitate informal early communications between DAVDP and potential sponsors of new therapeutics for the treatment of AIDS and life-threatening opportunistic infections, other viral infections, and soft tissue trans-... 

Cancer Institute (NCI) proved that AIDS was caused by a retrovims (whose replication is linked to a key enzyme, reverse transcriptase). There is still a controversy over priority of discovery. A number of therapeutic strategies can now be used in the treatment of AIDS. Many of these are suitable for immediate application in clinical trials and have already yielded positive results in many patients. 

A functional HIV protease is required for the production of infective virions this key role of the protease in the viral life cycle makes the inhibition of this enzyme a potential way for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of AIDS. New strategies for the development of bifunctional inhibitors, which combine the protease inhibitor and another enzyme inhibitor in one molecule are under investigation. ... 

A key strategy in the treatment of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) has been to develop specific inhibitors that selectively block the actions of enzymes unique to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which causes AIDS. Many laboratories are working on this approach to the development of therapeutic agents. Three key enzymes are current targets for AIDS therapy—reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease. 

In the fourth edition, we have added 20 new boxed topics and have updated many of the earlier ones. We have tried to include topics, such as self-tanning lotions and sugar substitutes, which are of interest to students today. We have included the most recent strategies for treatment of AIDS and new information on the use of genetic engineering to treat a variety of genetic diseases. 

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