TreatmentUpdate 69, Volume 8, No 5; July 1996
Sean Hosein

Drugs such as AZT and the 'related' chemicals 3TC, d4T, ddC and ddI need to be converted to their antiviral form inside cells if they are to work. If these drug are not converted they have no anti-HIV activity. As treatment with combinations of anti-HIV drugs becomes the standard of care, some researchers are concerned that cells will not be able to convert all of these drugs into their anti-HIV form.

Results

Researchers in England have been conducting experiments with cells and several drugs including AZT, 3TC and ddC. They found that when cells were given 3TC and ddC they were unable to convert ddC into its anti-HIV form. 3TC did not affect the conversion of AZT. The researchers suggested that combination treatment with 3TC and ddC may not be useful.

REFERENCES:

1. Veal GJ, Hoggard PG, Barry MG, Koo S and other nucleoside analogues for intracellular phosphorylation. AIDS 1996;10(5):546-548.

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