| RTI Action RTI drugs prevent viral DNA production by incorporating themselves into the newly forming DNA. Once HIV has invaded a human cell it uses an enzyme, reverse transcriptase, to convert its genetic code to a form that can be incorporated into the host's DNA. Reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) are very similar in structure to the building blocks which make up DNA so they are incorporated into the DNA chain being produced by the reverse transcriptase. Once the RTI has joined the newly produced DNA the chain is terminated. No other building blocks can attach themselves to the chain as the RTI is unable to bind to any other "blocks". Viral DNA production is suppressed, though the virus is not killed. |
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