title: Therapeutic targets for the treatment of hepatitis E virus infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hepatitis E virus (HEV) is one of the most common causes of acute viral hepatitis in the world with an estimated 20 million infections per year. Although the mortality rate is < 1% among the general population, pregnant women can have a fatality rate of up to 30%. Additionally, chronic hepatitis E has increasingly become a significant clinical problem in immunocompromised individuals. Effective antivirals against HEV are needed.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review article addresses the current state of knowledge of HEV infections with regard to animal and cell culture model systems that are important for antiviral discovery and testing, our current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of virus replication, our understanding of how each viral protein functions, and areas that can potentially be exploited as therapeutic targets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lack of an efficient cell culture system for HEV propagation, the limited knowledge of HEV lifecycle, and the inherent self-limiting infection within the normal populace make the development of new therapeutic agents against HEV challenging. There are many promising therapeutic targets, and the tools for identifying and testing potential antivirals are rapidly evolving. The development of effective therapeutics against HEV in immunocompromised and pregnant patient populations is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), College of Veterinary Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology , CRC-Integrated Life Sciences Building (0913), 1981 Kraft Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0913 , USA +1 540 231 6912 ; +1 540 231 3414 ; xjmeng@vt.edu.
authors.forename: Scott P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kenney
authors.forename: Xiang-Jin
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015195:Drug Design; D005260:Female; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014764:Viral Proteins
keywords: antisense therapy; antiviral target; antiviral therapeutics; hepatitis E; hepatitis E virus; proteasome inhibitors