ABSTRACT
Human immunodeficiency virus infection (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome are conditions caused by the HIV, a virus which interferes with the immune system of the host causing in time opportunistic infections and development of cancers which rarely happen to people with competent immune systems. There is no cure for the infection or vaccine for its prophylaxis. Still, antiretroviral pharmacological treatment can slow the course of the disease and may lead to a near-normal life expectancy. Protein inhibitors are inhibiting the viral replication by blocking the HIV proteases, enzymes that are important for the proteolysis of protein precursors that are necessary for the production of infectious mature viral particles. Portmanteau inhibitors are molecules designed to have reverse transcriptase and integrase inhibitory activities or, more recently, integrase, and entry (CCR5 blocking) inhibitory activities. The molecules are lab-designed, having dual-cores, corresponding to the one needed for the reverse transcriptase/entry blocking activity and to that one of the integrase inhibitory activity.
