title: Immune responses to hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the prospects for an effective HCV vaccine or immunotherapies.
abstract: Infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) typically leads to persistent infection, with >170 million people estimated to be affected worldwide, putting them at risk for chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Importantly, 20%-30% of individuals are able to control the virus spontaneously, usually within 6 months of exposure. This suggests that HCV vaccines and immunotherapies are a distinct possibility. We discuss here the role of T cells in controlling HCV, the gaps in our understanding of protective HCV immunity, and the recent introduction of a HCV T-cell vaccine into clinical trials.
authors: Gastrointestinal Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. glauer@helix.mgh.harvard.edu
authors: Georg M
authors: GM
authors: Lauer
mesh_terms: D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D014765:Viral Vaccines