Final answer:
The physician hopes to achieve viral suppression using NRTIs and PIs as part of the antiretroviral therapy for HIV, thereby reducing the viral load, preserving immune function, and extending life expectancy without curing the disease.
Step-by-step explanation:
With the use of Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) and Protease Inhibitors (PIs) for HIV treatment, the main goal a physician hopes to achieve is c) Viral suppression. While there is currently no cure for HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART), which includes NRTIs and PIs, aims to reduce the viral load in a patient's body to undetectable levels, thereby maintaining the function of the immune system and preventing opportunistic infections. This protocol also extends the life expectancy of people with HIV and reduces the risk of virus transmission.
The NRTIs act by incorporating into viral DNA and disrupting the formation of a proper sugar-phosphate backbone necessary for DNA synthesis because they lack the hydroxyl group (-OH) at the 3' position. PIs, on the other hand, hinder the HIV protease enzyme that is essential for the maturation of virus particles, preventing proper assembly and release of new virions. Together, these types of medications are an essential part of the ART cocktail used for effectively managing HIV/AIDS.