CHEM 115(S) AIDS: The Disease and Search for a Cure
Since the discovery of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) in 1983, modern techniques of molecular biology have revealed much about its structure and life cycle. The intensity of the scientific investigation directed at HIV-1 is unprecedented in history. We now know more about this virus than any other known pathogen. However, the early optimism concerning the prospects for an effective AIDS vaccine has now waned and HIV strains that are resistant to drug therapies are common. We are now nearly three decades into the AIDS pandemic and the World Health Organization estimates that there are more than 40 million HIV-infected persons worldwide.
After an introduction to chemical structure, we examine the molecular biology of the HIV virus, the molecular targets of anti-HIV drugs, and the prospects for a cure. We discuss the origin of HIV-1 and HIV-2, and look at how HIV-1 interacts with the human immune system. We also discuss both old and new methods of vaccine development and the prospects for making an effective AIDS vaccine.
This course is designed for the non-science major who does not intend to pursue a career in the natural sciences.
Format: lecture, three hours per week. Evaluation will be based on problem sets, a midterm, quizzes, a final exam, and a paper/discussion.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 40 (expected: 40).
Hour: GEHRING