Natural resistance mechanisms to HIV-1 infection Essay

Natural resistance mechanisms to HIV-1 infection - Essay Example There is currently no vaccine or cure for AIDS or HIV. The only known method is avoiding exposure of the virus. However a treatment known as post-exposure prophylaxis is believed to reduce the risk of infection if begun directly after exposure. Current treatment of HIV infection consists of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). This refers to combined therapy with three or more drugs, usually two that target the reverse transcriptase and one that targets the viral protease. Kimball's biology pages. 7 Oct. 2004. 24 Feb. 2007 Natural resistance to HIV can be considered at two levels: resistance to becoming infected with the virus and resistance to the virus if the person is already infected. The mechanisms of natural resistance in both cases are: Apoptosis. Apoptosis is a programmed death of the cells in multi-cells organism. During the HIV infection apoptosis is the main mechanism by which infected and uninfected CD4+ lymphocytes are eliminated. However apoptosis as a natural resistant mechanism to HIV infection has not been explored so far. Genetic factor.