Challenges in Developing New Therapies for AIDS

The World Health Organization estimates that in 2018 almost 40 million people worldwide are infected with HIV. The most recent CDC report estimates that in the US over 1.2 million people are infected including about 13% who are unaware of their infections. With the development of antiretroviral therapy (ART), there has been much needed progress over the past decade. The continual emergence of drug resistance HIV variants and side effects of life long therapy necessitates the development of new therapies. Our work has centered upon the viral polymerase molecular target, HIV reverse transcriptase (RT). We are using mechanistic studies with computational and structural guidance to design more effective therapies that have improved therapeutic properties.