DNA repair in HIV-1 infection: a case for inhibitors of cellular co-factors?

At each step of its life-cycle, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) interacts with cellular proteins. In some cases, such as the cellular cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G, cellular proteins repress HIV-1 replication. In other cases, cellular proteins serve as essential co-factors, and inhibition of their function blocks HIV-1 replication. This review explores the opportunities for anti-HIV-1 therapy that stem from the recent discoveries that cellular proteins, which are involved in double-strand break DNA repair, are also required for completion of integration of HIV-1 DNA into host cell DNA.