[Replication inhibitors targeting early events in the HIV-1 life cycle]

Most of the compounds currently used for treatment of HIV-1 infection are reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors. Several early steps in the HIV-1 life cycle such as virus attachment to host cell and cell-virus fusion are potential targets for drugs. Since most of the target molecules involved in this infection step are cellular, it is expected that the drug resistant mutations occur less frequently than those against viral enzymes. In this review, new inhibitors of entry and fusion are summarized that are promising.