Grandgenett Duane P, Engelman Alan N
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO 63104, USA.
Department of Cancer Immunology and Virology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
Viruses. 2024 Apr 13;16(4):604. doi: 10.3390/v16040604.
The field of retroviral integration research has a long history that started with the provirus hypothesis and subsequent discoveries of the retroviral reverse transcriptase and integrase enzymes. Because both enzymes are essential for retroviral replication, they became valued targets in the effort to discover effective compounds to inhibit HIV-1 replication. In 2007, the first integrase strand transfer inhibitor was licensed for clinical use, and subsequently approved second-generation integrase inhibitors are now commonly co-formulated with reverse transcriptase inhibitors to treat people living with HIV. International meetings specifically focused on integrase and retroviral integration research first convened in 1995, and this paper is part of the Special Issue on the 7th International Conference on Retroviral Integration, which was held in Boulder Colorado in the summer of 2023. Herein, we overview key historical developments in the field, especially as they pertain to the development of the strand transfer inhibitor drug class. Starting from the mid-1990s, research advancements are presented through the lens of the international conferences. Our overview highlights the impact that regularly scheduled, subject-specific international meetings can have on community-building and, as a result, on field-specific collaborations and scientific advancements.
逆转录病毒整合研究领域有着悠久的历史，始于前病毒假说以及随后逆转录病毒逆转录酶和整合酶的发现。由于这两种酶对于逆转录病毒复制至关重要，它们成为了发现抑制HIV-1复制的有效化合物的重要靶点。2007年，首个整合酶链转移抑制剂获批用于临床，随后获批的第二代整合酶抑制剂现在通常与逆转录酶抑制剂联合配方，用于治疗HIV感染者。专门聚焦于整合酶和逆转录病毒整合研究的国际会议于1995年首次召开，本文是2023年夏天在科罗拉多州博尔德市举行的第七届逆转录病毒整合国际会议特刊的一部分。在此，我们概述该领域的关键历史发展，尤其是与链转移抑制剂药物类别的发展相关的方面。从20世纪90年代中期开始，通过国际会议的视角呈现研究进展。我们的概述突出了定期举行的、特定主题的国际会议对社群建设的影响，以及由此对特定领域的合作和科学进步的影响。
