The Hallmark of HIV Infection: Comprehending the Complex Signaling Pathways and Viral Proteins Involved in Disease Progression

Abstract

HIV can be transmitted from a mother to her child through various means such as blood transfusions, sharing intravenous needles, sexual contact, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. The progression of HIV infection, commonly known as AIDS, involves several stages: viral transmission, acute seroconversion, acute retroviral syndrome, recovery and seroconversion, silent chronic infection, and symptomatic HIV infection. The spread of HIV is considered a pandemic, and since its discovery, an estimated 39 million individuals have lost their lives due to HIV infection, while more than 35 million people are currently living with the disease. Improved medical advancements have led to longer survival for people with HIV, which has contributed to the increased prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Recent studies have focused on understanding the factors that contribute to the varying levels of pathogenicity of the infection, with the aim of finding potential treatments for long-lasting effects. These studies have primarily concentrated on comprehending the defining characteristic of HIV infection, namely the establishment and progression of viral infection through the utilization of its nine major proteins and the complex signaling pathways involved.