Terapia antirretroviral: espectro de utilização e desenvolvimento de resistência

Abstract

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) was described for the first time in The the beginning of 80’s. Since then, thousands of people have died from the disease every year. Since 1987, are being developed antiretroviral drugs with the function of reducing the viral load of HIV-infected individuals. The implementation of antiretroviral therapy highly active had a very significant effect in reducing mortality and morbidity of HIV patients. These drugs act at different stages of the replication cycle of HIV reducing the process for developing resistance, which occurs due to the progressive accumulation of mutations in the process of transcription, the high replication rate by recombination between virus strains and for selective pressures that are subject in the host are used a combination of two or three classes of drugs. Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms involved in the entry of HIV into cells has made this stage of the replication cycle the main target of research into new molecules for the treatment of HIV infection. The biggest challenge for researchers is to combat the development of resistance to antiretroviral drugs and thus, new drugs are under study and some of them are already in use. Another important detail in the treatment of HIV-infected patients is adherence to treatment; that often becomes difficult due to the lack of attention and information by health professionals.