Design a rational combination therapy strategy for chronic HIV infection that uses complementary mechanisms to reduce viral load and delay resistance. Which combination is best and why?

• A. A regimen combining nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (e.g., tenofovir), a protease inhibitor (e.g., ritonavir-boosted), and an integrase inhibitor, because targeting multiple, virus-specific enzymes reduces replication, limits the emergence of resistant strains, and impairs maturation at different steps.
• B. Use a single high-dose protease inhibitor continuously without other agents, because high concentrations will permanently bind all proteases and no resistance mechanisms exist for protease inhibitors.
• C. Combine acyclovir with oseltamivir to target both DNA and RNA polymerases simultaneously, ensuring all possible viral genomes are targeted regardless of the pathogen responsible for symptoms.
• D. Alternate daily between interferon-alpha and neuraminidase inhibitors to create an unpredictable environment for the virus, relying on host immune hyperstimulation to eradicate HIV in the first week of treatment.

Answer: (A)