In Vivo Targeted Degradation of HIV Proteins: Antiretroviral drugs are effective in controlling an HIV infected person?s viral load by inhibiting the fusion of the virus to a CD4 T-cell or inhibiting HIV enzymes such as reverse transcriptase, integrase and protease. The success of these drugs is dependent on their ability to bind to a reactive site on their target. Attempts to generate small molecule inhibitors to other HIV proteins have been difficult since they lack a reactive site that can bind a small molecule. This leaves multiple HIV expressed proteins in an infected cell as ?undruggable?. Targeting therapeutics to one or more HIV proteins may be an effective way of shutting down viral replication, preventing cellular transmission and ultimately lead to a sustained viral remission. The goal is to develop reagents that specifically bind to HIV expressed proteins in an infected cell and deliver them to the proteasome for degradation.
