title: Mechanism of action of interferon and ribavirin in treatment of hepatitis C.
abstract: Since the identification of the hepatitis C virus, great strides have been made in the development of an antiviral therapy. As a crucial mediator of the innate antiviral immune response, interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) was a natural choice for treatment. Whereas treatment with IFN-alpha alone achieved only modest success, the addition of the broad-spectrum antiviral agent ribavirin greatly improved responses. However, half of the infected individuals with chronic disease do not achieve sustained clearance of hepatitis C virus. To optimize current therapeutic strategies and to develop new therapies, a better understanding of the mechanism of action of IFN and ribavirin will be essential.
authors.affiliation: Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Building 31, Room 9A27, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Jordan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Feld
authors.forename: Jay H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Hoofnagle
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D007372:Interferons / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D012254:Ribavirin; D007372:Interferons