Unscrambling hepatitis C virus-host interactions.
The human suffering exacted by the hepatitis C virus is enormous. Hundreds of thousands of people die each year from liver failure and cancer caused by this infection. There is no vaccine, and the available antiviral drugs are toxic, expensive and only partly effective. Progress has been hindered by the absence of cell culture and small-animal models of the infection. Nonetheless, recent advances have yielded several promising new antiviral drugs and enhanced the prospects of developing a vaccine. The recent development of a robust in vitro hepatitis C virus infection system will aid this search.
Chisari
Francis V
FV
The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA. fchisari@scripps.edu
D000818:Animals; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines
D014761:Viral Hepatitis Vaccines