Integrase inhibitor

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Integrase Inhibitor

Integrase inhibitors (pronounced as in-te-grase in-hib-it-ors) are a type of antiretroviral medication used in the treatment of HIV and AIDS. The term originates from the word 'integrase', which is an enzyme produced by the HIV virus, and 'inhibitor', which refers to a substance that reduces or stops the activity of another substance.

Function

Integrase inhibitors work by blocking the action of integrase, an enzyme that the HIV virus uses to integrate its genetic material into the DNA of the host cell. By preventing this integration, the inhibitors stop the virus from replicating and spreading to other cells.

Types

There are several types of integrase inhibitors, including:

Each of these drugs has a slightly different chemical structure and may have different side effects and drug interactions.

Side Effects

Common side effects of integrase inhibitors can include nausea, headache, diarrhea, and insomnia. In rare cases, they can cause severe side effects such as liver damage or hypersensitivity reaction.

Etymology

The term 'integrase inhibitor' is derived from the words 'integrase', which is the enzyme that these drugs inhibit, and 'inhibitor', which refers to a substance that reduces or stops the activity of another substance.

Related Terms

  • Antiretroviral therapy: The use of medications to manage HIV and prevent its progression to AIDS.
  • Protease inhibitor: Another type of antiretroviral medication that works by blocking the action of protease, an enzyme that HIV uses to replicate.
  • Reverse transcriptase inhibitor: A type of antiretroviral medication that works by blocking the action of reverse transcriptase, another enzyme that HIV uses to replicate.

External links

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