Question

Considering the lifecycle of HIV and using evolutionary thinking which of the treatment scenarios would be most effective at controlling the population of HIV and preventing AIDS and avoids the evolution of resistance to the treatment? O A A three-drug cocktail with one drug affecting HIV transcriptase, one affecting HIV integrase and one affecting transcription of the in host's cell. B. A three-drug cocktail with one drug affecting HIV transcriptase, one affecting HIV proteins, and one affecting HIV integrase, then after 3 weeks a different set of three drugs where one affects HIV transcriptase (but differently than the earlier drug, one affects HIV proteins (but differently than the earlier drugi and a third drug affects HIV reverse transcriptase. The treatment continues with switching the set of 3 drug cocktails every 3 weeks. OC. One strong drug that attacks the HIV integrase. D. A four-drug cocktail with one drug affecting HIV integrase, one drug affecting HIV transcriptase, one affecting HIV proteins, and the last drug affecting HIV reverse transcriptase. Reset Selection

Answer 1

Ans: HIV coat protein contains a glycoprotein gp120 through which it is able to attach to the CD-4 cells, these cells are used by the immune system for the protection against foreign invaders. Once inside the T-helper cell, HIV changes its genetic material so it can enter the nucleus of the cell and take control of it. For this the HIV uses reverse transcriptase enzyme which is encoded by its own genome and using t-RNA the virus reverse transcribed its genome to cDNA. This cDNA than integrated into the host cell's genome. The infected T-helper cell then produces more HIV proteins that are used to produce more HIV particles inside the cell. The new HIV particles are then released from the T-helper cell into the bloodstream which infect other cells; and so the process begins again.

So taking a look at the lifecycle of HIV we can say that option 2 is correct for controlling the population of HIV because one of the drug is inhibiting virus protein so that it is not able to attach to the CD-4 cells also the other drug is inhibiting the integrase enzyme so that HIV's genome can't be able to integrate into the host's genome and replicates itself. And the third drug is inhibiting HIV transcriptase so that its genome cannot be converted back to its native genome which is ss RNA. And to avoid evolution of resistance to the treatment after every 3 weeks a different set of drugs is being used which will inhibit the respective proteins in different manner than the previous one. So i think option b treatment scenario will be most effective for controlling the population, AIDS and evolution of resistance towards the treatment.