Final answer:
CCR5 antagonists are medications that target the chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) on T cells to prevent the entry of HIV. Maraviroc is an example of such a drug. Despite the resistant CCR5-delta 32 mutation, targeting CCR5 remains a valid therapeutic strategy in HIV treatment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The medication that binds to chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) as its mechanism of action (MOA) is a class known as CCR5 antagonists. These are used in the treatment of HIV and work by preventing the virus from entering human cells.
CCR5 antagonists impede the HIV lifecycle by blocking the binding of the virus to the CCR5 receptor on T cells, which is necessary for virus entry. Since HIV binds to the CD4 receptor and requires coreceptors such as CCR5 to enter the cell, medications that target this process can be effective in inhibiting the progression of HIV. Maraviroc is an example of a drug in this class.
Despite the existence of the CCR5-delta 32 mutation, which confers resistance to some strains of HIV, drug therapies targeting CCR5 remain a crucial strategy as individuals carrying this mutation can still contract the virus. Therefore, pharmaceutical research continues to focus on developing fusion inhibitors and CCR5 antagonists, among other classes, to prevent HIV from successfully infecting host T cells.