Hepatitis C virus: quasispecies dynamics, virus persistance and antiviral therapy

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been the subject of intense research and clinical investigation due to its worldwide prevalence and major role in chronic liver disease. HCV circulates in vivo as a complex population of different, but closely related, viral variants, commonly referred to as a quasispecies. The introduction of IFN-α plus ribavirin combination therapy was an important breakthrough in the treatment of chronic HCV infection. Nevertheless, the rate of sustained virological response is still unsatisfactory. Viral persistence, a hallmark of HCV, may result from a dynamic control of the host response by the action of non-structural protein 3 of virus. There is a clear need for a search for new antiviral compounds against HCV and for a therapy that efficiently, and with fewer side effects, can attack the virus, modulates the immune response system and reduces the frequency of relapse. As a safe and effective vaccine against HCV remains to be achieved, the development of new antiviral agents, particularly against non-structural proteins of the virus, will be very important for the control of HCV infection.

Keywords::

• antiviral
• hepatitis C virus
• IFN
• polymerase inhibitor
• protease inhibitor
• quasispecies
• ribavirin

Acknowledgements

J Cristina acknowledges support from ICGEB, PAHO and RELAB through Project CRP.LA/URU03-032 and DINACYT, Uruguay, through Project No. 8006.

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