Lenacapavir, targeting the HIV-1 capsid, is the first-in-class antiretroviral drug recently approved for clinical use. The development of Lenacapavir is attributed to the remarkable progress in our understanding of the capsid protein made during the last few years. Considered little more than a component of the virus shell to be shed early during infection, capsid has been found to be a key player in the HIV-1 life cycle by interacting with multiple host cell factors, entering the nucleus, and directing integration. Here, we describe the key advances that led to this "capsid revolution".
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.