AZT

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the process of copying DNA in cells.
More specifically, AZT, inhibits the reverse transcriptase enzyme, which is
involved in the DNA replication process. When DNA is replicating in a cell,
there is a specific enzyme that works along one side of the original DNA strand
as the DNA is split into two strands, copying each individual nucleotide. This
enzyme is only able to work in one direction along the nucleotide string,
therefore a different enzyme, or rather a series of different enzymes is
required to work in the opposite direction. Reverse transcriptase is one of the
enzymes that is required to work in the opposite direction. AZT works by bonding
to the reverse transcriptase enzyme, thereby making it unable to bond with the
nucleotide string and making it unable to fulfill it's role. This whole process
is used by the HIV virus to replicate itself so that it can continue to infect
more cells.

AZT was originally developed over 20 years ago for the treatment of
lukemia. The ...

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to the cells. AZT is usually taken in a pill format, but it is
absorbed by the skin, which can make it dangerous for people handling the drug.

There is quite a bit of controversy about the effectiveness of AZT. Most
experts agree that AZT delays the progression of HIV disease; the drug may also
prolong the disease-free survival period. However, many doctors still disagree
with using AZT as a treatment for AIDS. Peter Duesberg, a professor of molecular
biology at the university of California, Berkley, says that "In view of this,
[the cytotoxicity level of AZT] there is no rational explanation of how AZT
could be beneficial to AIDS patients, even if HIV were proven to cause ...

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