Category: catabolism
HIV-1 replication targets beyond NRTIs (covered separately): NNRTIs bind RT in a non-competitive pocket → allosteric inhibition; INSTIs (raltegravir, dolutegravir, bictegravir, elvitegravir) inhibit integrase strand-transfer → block proviral DNA integration into host chromosome (the irreversible step); PIs (atazanavir, darunavir, lopinavir) inhibit HIV protease → immature noninfectious virions. Modern ART regimens combine 2 NRTIs + 1 anchor (INSTI preferred for safety; alternatively NNRTI or boosted PI). Cobicistat or ritonavir serve as PK boosters (CYP3A4 inhibition raises companion drug exposure — covered in CV/AM-as-perpetrator pathways).