title: Contributions of transgenic mouse studies on the research of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.
abstract: Transgenic mouse technology has enabled the investigation of the pathogenic effects, including those on development, immunological reactions and carcinogenesis, of viral genes directly in living organism in a real-time manner. Although viral hepatocarcinogenesis comprises multiple sequences of pathological events, that is, chronic necroinflammation and the subsequent regeneration of hepatocytes that induces the accumulation of genetic alterations and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the direct action of viral proteins also play significant roles. The pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus X and hepatitis C virus (HCV) core genes has been extensively studied by virtue of their functions as a transactivator and a steatosis inducer, respectively. In particular, the mechanism of steatosis in HCV infection and its possible association with HCC has been well studied using HCV core gene transgenic mouse models. Although transgenic mouse models have remarkable advantages, they are intrinsically accompanied by some drawbacks when used to study human diseases. Therefore, the results obtained from transgenic mouse studies should be carefully interpreted in the context of whether or not they are well associated with human pathogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, the Nippon Dental University, Niigata-city 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohkoshi
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, the Nippon Dental University, Niigata-city 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirono
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, the Nippon Dental University, Niigata-city 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, the Nippon Dental University, Niigata-city 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Shogo Ohkoshi, Haruka Hirono, Kazuhiko Watanabe, Katsuhiko Hasegawa, Department of Internal Medicine, School of Life Dentistry at Niigata, the Nippon Dental University, Niigata-city 951-8580, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yano
keywords: Hepatitis B virus; Hepatitis B virus X; Hepatitis C virus; Hepatitis C virus core protein; Hepatocarcinogenesis; Steatosis; Transgenic mouse