Dolutegravir is an example of which ART class?

• A. NRTIs
• B. NNRTIs
• C. Protease inhibitors
• D. Integrase inhibitors

Answer: (D)

Blockading the integration of viral DNA into the host genome is the mechanism being tested. Dolutegravir works by inhibiting the integrase enzyme, specifically the strand transfer step that inserts HIV DNA into the host’s DNA. This stops HIV from effectively replicating, which is why it’s categorized as an integrase inhibitor.

This differs from NRTIs and NNRTIs, which target reverse transcriptase—the enzyme that copies viral RNA into DNA—though at different sites. Protease inhibitors block viral maturation by inhibiting the protease enzyme. So dolutegravir’s action is distinct in that it interrupts the integration step, placing it squarely in the integrase inhibitors class.