How does HIV-1 defeat the immune system and resist drugs?

Question 1

What is reverse transcriptase and what does it do for HIV?

Answer 1

An enzyme hat copies the RNA containing HIV genetic info. It makes a complimentary cDNA which inserts itself into the cellular DNA where it stays latent and not be detected by CTLs.

Question 2

How is cDNA activated?

Answer 2

Signals not fully understood. Tumour necrosis alpha is possible.

Question 3

What factors make HIV so hard to fight?

Answer 3

.Ability to be latent as cDNA makes it undetectable to CTLs.
.Reverse transcriptase enzyme is error prone and creates a new mutation of cDNA every time it transcribes HIV RNA. Each virus produced is a mutation of original.

Question 4

How does HIV impair the relationship between T-Helper cells and CTLs?

Answer 4

HIV-1 binds to cd4 receptor on T-helper cells which kills them OR makes them a target for CTLs which CTL usually rely on for activation.

Question 5

Which cells foes HIV specifically target?

Answer 5

T Helper cells. Macrophages. Dendritic Cells.