title: Antiviral treatment of hepatitis C.
abstract: Therapy of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection may prevent progression to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and end-stage liver disease. The cornerstone of treatment has long been standard IFN-alpha, the use of which was associated with a sustained biochemical and viral response in only a small proportion of patients. More recently, the success of interferon-based regimens has substantially improved due to the combination with the guanosine analogue ribavirin and to the advent of pegylated interferon formulations. However, even the most up-to-date regimens fail to cure the infection in many cases and are limited by side effects and high costs. A better understanding of the HCV genomic organisation, the elucidation of the three-dimensional structures of virally encoded enzymes and the recent development of a HCV-replicon system in human hepatoma (Huh-7) cells have led to significant advances in the development of new antiviral compounds, many of which are under evaluation in clinical trials. The aim of this review is to trace a brief overview of the progress made by interferon-based treatments for hepatitis C since their introduction in the early 1990s, and to highlight the results of recent clinical studies concerning new and emerging drugs.
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, Medical Liver Transplantation Unit, DPMSC, University of Udine, Clinica Medica, Policlinico Universitario, Piazzale SM della Misericordia 1, 33100 Udine, Italy. pierluigi.toniutto@uniud.it
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Toniutto
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fabris
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pirisi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016015:Logistic Models; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015842:Serine Proteinase Inhibitors; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012254:Ribavirin; C100416:peginterferon alfa-2a