title: Immune modulation by the hepatitis C virus core protein.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is currently the most important cause of chronic viral hepatitis in the world and one of the most frequent indications for liver transplantation. HCV uses different strategies to evade the innate and adaptive immune response, and this evasion plays a key role in determining viral persistence. Several HCV viral proteins have been described as immune modulators. In this review, we will focus on the effect of HCV nucleocapsid core protein in the function of immune cells and its correlation with the findings observed in HCV chronically infected patients. Effects on immune cell function related to both extracellular and intracellular HCV core localization will be considered. This review provides an updated perspective on the mechanisms involved in HCV evasion related to one single HCV protein, which could become a key tool in the development of new antiviral strategies able to control and/or eradicate HCV infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health (Immunology), University of Cadiz and Institute of Biomedical Research Cádiz (INIBICA), Cadiz, Spain.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández-Ponce
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health (Immunology), University of Cadiz and Institute of Biomedical Research Cádiz (INIBICA), Cadiz, Spain.|Department of Neurology, Human Translational Immunology Program, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George St. 353D, New Haven, 06520, CT.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dominguez-Villar
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health (Immunology), University of Cadiz and Institute of Biomedical Research Cádiz (INIBICA), Cadiz, Spain.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Miranda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health (Immunology), University of Cadiz and Institute of Biomedical Research Cádiz (INIBICA), Cadiz, Spain.
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Arbulo-Echevarria
authors.affiliation: Department of Condensed Matter Physics, University of Cádiz, Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Litrán
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health (Immunology), University of Cadiz and Institute of Biomedical Research Cádiz (INIBICA), Cadiz, Spain.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aguado
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, Biotechnology and Public Health (Immunology), University of Cadiz and Institute of Biomedical Research Cádiz (INIBICA), Cadiz, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3720-259X
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García-Cozar
mesh_terms: D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D057131:Immune Evasion; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014758:Viral Core Proteins; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus
keywords: 
  HCV
  ; exhausted phenotype; immune evasion; immune tolerance; regulatory T cells