HIV-1 Gag Gene – Understanding Current Trends in the Developmentof Promising ARV Treatments

Georges Teto1 at all

Abstract

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) treatment with combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) has improved the life quality of many patients since its implementation. HIV infection has been incurable till date, and it remains a major public health threat globally. The gag gene, one of the three main HIV-1 genes, occupies a central position in the replication cycle of this virus. This gene encodes for structural proteins and is primarily responsible for assembling viral particles. In addition to this main role, the gag gene and its by-products (Gag proteins) have often been implicated in other stages of the HIV-1 life cycle. Some evidence suggests that this gene can interfere with the function of the three key enzymes, protease, reverse transcriptase and integrase, of the viral replication cycle through interactions with the genes encoding these enzymes. It is particularly well known that the HIV-1 gag gene is subject to numerous mutations that can influence the pathophysiology and treatment of HIV infection. It is also now well established that these mutations can lead to resistance to ARV treatments, particularly treatments including protease or integrase inhibitors. In this review, we will present the gag gene and its implication in the pathophysiology of HIV infection, its implication regarding ARV treatments, and finally we will review the central position that this gene occupies in the research and discovery of new ARV molecules like Gag inhibitors. Gag inhibitors disrupt the assembly and release of new viral particles, thus preventing further infection. Because Gag plays a role in multiple stages of the viral replication cycle, Gag inhibitors can affect both early and late stages of infection, making it a promising therapeutic target. Keywords: Acquired immune deficiency