Our activities


HIVINNOV (Grant n°305137) is a collaborative research project supported by the European Union

The HIV replication cycle

At each step of its replication cycle the Human Immunodeficience Virus interacts with multiple host-cell machineries.


Each step of this cycle is mediated by specific molecular interactions which can be targeted by antiretrovirals.


Highly Active AntiRetroviral Therapies (HAART)  associate several drugs targeting different steps of the HIV replication cycle.


In HIVinnov we develop antiretroviral compounds that target the Integration step (Work Package 1) and the import of the PIC inside the nucleus (Work Package 2).  In Work package 3, new targets will be discovered and validated  to identify new inhibitors.


  1. Viral entry through receptor/co-receptor recognition by the viral envelope glycoprotein (Env) followed by fusion of the viral membrane with that of target cells;
  2. Reverse transcription of the genomic viral RNA into pro-viral double stranded DNA, catalyzed by the viral Reverse Transcriptase (RT);
  3. Nuclear import of the proviral DNA with involvement of the Trn-SR2 pathway.
  4. Integration of the pro-viral DNA into the host cell genome (controlled by the viral Integrase (IN) involving interaction with LEDGF/p75
  5. Assembly and budding of new virus particles
  6. Maturation of virions under the control of the viral protease (PR).