Presentation description

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to be a major public health issue globally with approximately 39 million people living with the infection as of 2022. HIV infection progressively destroys the immune system, leaving the body vulnerable to life-threatening infections. Despite significant advancements in antiretroviral therapies (ARTs), a cure remains elusive. One primary obstacle to curing HIV is its ability to establish latent reservoirs in host cells that are undetectable to the immune system, allowing the virus to persist despite ART.

HIV-1's life cycle involves several stages from the entry of the virus into the host cell to the eventual production of new virions. A critical stage in this life cycle is reverse transcription, where the viral RNA genome is reverse-transcribed into DNA to later be integrated into the host's genome. Reverse transcription remains a primary target for ART development because inhibiting this stage can prevent the virus from replicating and integrating into the host's DNA, thus halting the infection cycle.

This project focuses on creating a detailed illustration and animation of the reverse transcription process in HIV-1-infected cells. By visualizing the intricate details of reverse transcription in an easily understandable manner, these materials can serve as an educational tool for a diverse audience of researchers, educators, and students, facilitating deeper insights into HIV-1 biology.