Animal lentivirus replication and reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

We summarize the pathogenesis of animal lentiviruses (visna-maedi virus, caprine arthritis and encephalitis virus, and equine infectious anemia virus), which have raised considerable interest since the discovery of human lentiviruses. The human lentiviruses possess structural, genetic, and clinical properties similar to those of animal lentiviruses. We describe the different mechanisms of and the principal work on reverse transcriptase inhibitors of animal lentiviruses, such as HPA-23, phosphonoformate, or 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides. Animal viruses of this family may serve as models for infection with human lentiviruses such as human immunodeficiency virus, the etiologic agent of AIDS.