In vitro assessment of compounds for anti-HIV activity

Human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (HIV-1, -2), the etiological agents of AIDS, are retroviruses that replicate in CD4+ T lymphocytes, monocytes, and macrophages. Early anti-HIV therapies were directed at the step in the virus life cycle that was considered the most readily blocked: the transcription of viral RNA into its DNA copy by the viral enzyme reverse transcriptase (RT). Unfortunately, to date, patient therapies have been relatively unsuccessful and hampered by toxicological problems. This has promoted further research into inhibitors of HIV replication, which may act at alternative stages in the viral replicative cycle as well as more effective RT inhibitors. In order to facilitate such research, simple and accurate in vitro assays are highly desirable. Here we describe such assays that measure components of the HIV replicative cycle and are suitable for use within antiviral experiments.