Antiviral medications, such as those used in antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV, prevent the virus from multiplying and spreading throughout the body by focusing on particular stages of the viral replication cycle. Reverse transcriptase is the enzyme that HIV, in particular, uses to change its RNA genome into DNA, making it a retrovirus. In order to treat HIV, ART usually functions as follows:

Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors: Reverse transcriptase inhibitors are a major family of medications used in antiretroviral therapy (ART). These medications inhibit HIV from turning its RNA into DNA by interfering with the reverse transcriptase enzyme’s function. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) are the two categories of reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

Protease Inhibitors: Drugs in this class are also used in antiretroviral therapy (ART). HIV generates lengthy protein chains that are necessary for the assembly of fresh virus particles. These proteins are broken down by the enzyme protease into smaller, useful fragments required for viral replication. By interfering with this process, protease inhibitors stop the virus from maturing and producing infectious particles.

Integrase Inhibitors: These medications prevent HIV from inserting its genetic material into the host cell’s DNA by inhibiting the integrase enzyme. These medications stop the virus from integrating its genetic material into the DNA of the host cell by inhibiting integrase, which stops the virus from replicating.