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> It interferes with the HIV capsid, a protein shell that protects HIV’s genetic material and enzymes needed for replication.

Do I understand correctly that this means an individual HIV virus cannot replicate in the presence of the drug? I assume there must be more to it because otherwise this would be a cure?

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Effectively HIV stops replication in a presence of the drug, similarly to HIV drug regimes used today. However HIV is a very nasty virus - it’s called retrovirus because it writes itself into cell’s DNA (nucleus/core). So while those cells are alive as soon as you stop taking medications you will have virus resurgance. Some of those cells are in bone marrow and permanent. Hence stopping the replication of HIV isn’t enough for cure.

Hoping an expert will chime in but my lay understanding is that one difficult part of treating HIV positive patients is the ability of the virus to hide in areas that are exceptionally difficult to reach. In addition, HIV has a robust ability to reinfect a host from a point of undetectability hence the needs for lifelong treatments.

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