title: Hepatitis C virus molecular evolution: transmission, disease progression and antiviral therapy.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection represents an important public health problem worldwide. Reduction of HCV morbidity and mortality is a current challenge owned to several viral and host factors. Virus molecular evolution plays an important role in HCV transmission, disease progression and therapy outcome. The high degree of genetic heterogeneity characteristic of HCV is a key element for the rapid adaptation of the intrahost viral population to different selection pressures (e.g., host immune responses and antiviral therapy). HCV molecular evolution is shaped by different mechanisms including a high mutation rate, genetic bottlenecks, genetic drift, recombination, temporal variations and compartmentalization. These evolutionary processes constantly rearrange the composition of the HCV intrahost population in a staging manner. Remarkable advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanism controlling HCV replication have facilitated the development of a plethora of direct-acting antiviral agents against HCV. As a result, superior sustained viral responses have been attained. The rapidly evolving field of anti-HCV therapy is expected to broad its landscape even further with newer, more potent antivirals, bringing us one step closer to the interferon-free era.
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Maria Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Preciado
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valva
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Escobar-Gutierrez
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rahal
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Karina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Tovar
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vazquez-Chacon
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Armando
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martinez-Guarneros
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Juan Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Carpio-Pedroza
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fonseca-Coronado
authors.affiliation: Maria Victoria Preciado, Pamela Valva, Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, División Patología, Hospital de Niños "Ricardo Gutiérrez", Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Mayra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cruz-Rivera
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018450:Disease Progression; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005838:Genotype; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000635:transmission*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D010641:Phenotype; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents
keywords: Clinical outcome; Drug resistance; Evolution; Hepatitis C virus; Phylogenetics