• HIV’s envelope resembles a rounded ice‑cream cone, shielding the virus from immune detection. • A hidden anchor protein within the viral shell drives efficient replication, a new therapeutic target. • In acute infection, one infected cell can release up to 10,000 virions, accelerating disease spread. • Current antiretroviral therapies must adapt to viral mutations that evade drug binding. • Understanding the anchor’s structure may enable next‑generation drugs that block replication at its source.
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