Entry Inhibitors - A New Class of Aids Drugs

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus, is known to cause the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) as the HIV infection develops. Efforts on searching new anti-HIV agents to provide effective treatment of HIV infection / AIDS have never been slowed down since the discovery of HIV. Nowadays a promising area of research has focused on preventing HIV entry into host cells, called entry inhibitors, which work differently from the approved anti-HIV drugs. With the discovery of the x-ray crystal structure of the gp120 / CD4 / antibody complex, we have a better understanding of how HIV enters the host cell at the molecular level. These findings undoubtedly provide insights into the development of new drugs or vaccines that might prohibit host cell entry of HIV. Despite their novel mechanism of action, the potential benefits of entry inhibitors are also their potential action against drug-resistant HIV strains, minimal side effects and simplified dosing. The aim of the present article is to make a review to discuss the important compounds HIV-1 entry inhibitors in clinical development, as well as potential compounds under biological evaluation.