AIDS is a serious problem that is plaguing the world today. AIDS, or acquired immune deficiency syndrome, is a disease characterized by the progressive deterioration of an individual's immune system. (2) A retrovirus, HIV-1 is the cause of AIDS. HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus type 1. "Infection with HIV can weaken the immune system to the point that it has difficulty fighting off certain infections. Many of the infections that cause problems or may be life-threatening for people with AIDS are usually controlled by a healthy immune system," (1). At this point in time, there is no cure for AIDS. There are, however, medical treatments that can slow the effects of AIDS. Like many other diseases, early detection offers more options for treatment. Until there is a cure, learning about the disease and protecting yourself against it are the best options a person has at this time. "An individual can be infected with HIV through an abrasion in a mucosal surface (e.g. vaginal and rectal walls), a blood transfusion or by intravenous injection with a contaminated needle," (2). It is also possible for a mother to transfer it to her fetus during pregnancy or even when breastfeeding. (1).
HIV will target hematopoietic cells such as bone marrow derived monocytes, myelocytes, and immune system lymphocytes. (2) The retrovirus enters the cell and then proceeds to integrate its own genetic material into the cell's genome. "Retroviruses contain an RNA genome and the RNA dependent DNA polymerase also termed reverse transcriptase. The reverse transcriptase synthesizes a double-stranded DNA copy of the genomic RNA template. The tRNA molecule acts as a primer for the first strand synthesis. The reverse transciptase, RNAse H activity, degrades the RNA strand of the RNA-DNA duplex and the polymerase activity synthesizes a complementary DNA strand. The copy DNA will then migrate into the cell nucleus where they become covalently integrated into the cellular genomic DNA," (2).
