Anti-HIV drugs
Soon after HIV was discovered, scientists, doctors and researchers started the search for a cure. But that turned out to be easier said than done. This is because the virus adapts to the body when it enters it, and also because it attacks the CD4 cells that are there to detect dangerous intruders.
Imagine an attack on a town. The soldiers on guard are very important, as they are the first to spot the enemy. If that enemy captures the soldiers, kills them and disguises itself as your soldiers, defending the town soon becomes a lot more difficult.
The solution was to protect the CD4 cells. Researchers and doctors found different ways to do this:
- With drugs that make sure the HIV virus cannot attach itself to a CD4 cell.
- Using drugs that prevent the virus from entering the CD4 cell.
- With other drugs that make sure the virus cannot copy itself in the DNA of the CD4 cell.
- And using drugs that prevent the virus from multiplying.
In 1996, scientists discovered that combining different drugs was the best way to treat HIV. This treatment with different types of drugs is known as combination therapy.