The HIV Defenders

Antiviral Agents (HIV-related) — Immune System
Enfuvirtide, Maraviroc, Zidovudine, Delavirdine, Raltegravir, Ritonavir

Welcome to the Immune System’s command network—where HIV isn’t just an “infection.” It’s a hacker that breaks into immune cells, rewrites the system, and turns the body’s defenses against itself.

In this volume, Lucy and the crew launch a multi-layer antiviral defense to stop HIV at different stages of its life cycle: block entry, stop replication, and prevent integration—so viral load drops, CD4 protection improves, and opportunistic infections lose their advantage.

What this book covers (in story form):

Entry & Fusion Blockers (Stop HIV from getting inside the cell)

• Enfuvirtide (Fuzeon) — a fusion inhibitor: blocks HIV from fusing with the host cell membrane. The story highlights injection-based use and why site reactions and adherence matter.

• Maraviroc (Selzentry) — a CCR5 antagonist: locks a “doorway receptor” HIV uses to enter certain immune cells—making tropism/entry logic easy to remember.

Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (Stop HIV from copying itself)

• Zidovudine (Retrovir, ZDV) — an NRTI: interrupts viral DNA building. The arc emphasizes key monitoring concepts and why blood counts and side-effect awareness matter for safe therapy.

• Delavirdine (Rescriptor) — an NNRTI: blocks reverse transcriptase differently than NRTIs, with practical teaching points focused on interactions and adherence.

Integrase Inhibitor (Stop HIV from inserting into human DNA)

• Raltegravir (Isentress) — prevents viral DNA from integrating into the host genome, turning “infection takeover” into a dead-end pathway.

Protease Inhibitor / Booster (Stop assembly + strengthen the regimen)

• Ritonavir (Norvir) — featured as the regimen “amplifier”: it affects drug metabolism to boost other antivirals. The storyline makes drug–drug interactions and monitoring feel intuitive instead of scary.

You’ll learn through:

• An HIV Life Cycle Map (entry → reverse transcription → integration → assembly) so every med has a clear checkpoint

• Why combination therapy works (layered defenses = less resistance)

• Nursing priorities

  • adherence coaching (missed doses = resistance risk)

  • side effect recognition and when to escalate

  • basic lab/monitoring logic (viral load + CD4 trends as the “scoreboard”)

  • drug interaction awareness (especially with boosters like ritonavir)

  • patient education for stigma-free, realistic support