Advances in HIV entry machinery and relevant inhibitors

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is the virus that causes the acquired immun-odeficiency syndrome (AIDS).Invading of HIV into host cells involves the binding of HIV envelopeglycoproteins (gp120 and gp41) to their respective cell surface receptors (CD4 and chemokine co-re-ceptors).This paper reviews the mechanisms of virus penetration into the host cell and the current sta-tus of the relevant inhibitors being developed.