Strategies for hepatitis C therapeutic intervention: now and next.
Interferon-alpha-based therapies are the mainstay of hepatitis C treatment. However, these broad immunomodulatory agents, already limited by their side effects, expense and route of administration, are not efficacious in all cases. Therefore, research efforts have focused on identifying additional drugs and therapeutic modalities to benefit those individuals refractive to current therapy, and which might be more affordable, such as orally active small-molecule alternatives and preventive or therapeutic vaccines. It is likely that successful therapeutic intervention of hepatitis C will require a combination of approaches targeting different aspects of the viral life-cycle.
Tan
Seng-Lai
SL
Lilly Research Laboratories, Bldg 98A/2, Room 2105, Lilly Corporate Center, Indianapolis, IN 46285, USA. Tan_Seng-Lai@lilly.com
He
Yupeng
Y
Huang
Ying
Y
Gale
Michael
M
D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017368:Protein Prenylation / Q000187:drug effects; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons