The HIV protease and therapies for AIDS

New, potent therapies for HIV disease are available, based on synthetic inhibitors of the viral protease, an essential viral enzyme. The results in clinical trials have been impressive with most treated individuals benefiting in terms of reduced quantity of detectable virus, enhanced numbers of CD4 lymphocytes and improvements in quality and duration of life. However, there are some remaining negatives associated with the new drugs, including high cost, side effects and appearance of drug-resistant strains of HIV. Problems and future prospects for use of protease inhibitors and alternate approaches in AIDS are discussed.