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HCV Basic Science

CROI 2015: HCV Viral Load and Speed of Decline Do Not Predict Cure with Interferon-Free Therapy

Direct-acting antiviral regimens containing sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) and the drugs in Viekira Pak were highly effective regardless of how soon HCV viral load became undetectable after starting treatment, according to research presented at the recent 2015 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI). Furthermore, even having low-level detectable HCV RNA at the end of treatment does not preclude a cure, the investigators for a related study concluded.

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Trio of Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies Interfere with Hepatitis C Virus Infection

Three broadly neutralizing antibodies delivered by a viral vector blocked hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection of hepatocytes (liver cells) in a laboratory culture model and appeared to cure infection in modified mice carrying human liver tissue, researchers reported in the September 17 edition of Science Translational Medicine.

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NS5A Inhibitor Daclatasvir Has Dual Mode of Action Against Hepatitis C Virus

The promising investigational hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A inhibitor daclatasvir targets 2 steps of the viral replication process, enabling very rapid HCV RNA reduction, according to a mathematical model described in the February 19, 2013, advance edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Study Sheds Light on How Hepatitis C Virus Evades Immune System

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) appears to disable a specific variant of the IFNL3 gene, which plays a role in the immune system's response against viral infection, explaining how people with a favorable gene pattern are more likely to clear the virus naturally or with interferon-based treatment, researchers reported in the January 2014 issue of Nature Immunology.

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IRES Inhibitor Discovery May Offer New Way to Halt Hepatitis C Replication

Researchers have discovered the structure of a molecule from a class of compounds called benzimidazoles that can attach itself to the internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in the genetic material of hepatitis C virus (HCV) and stop its replication, according to a report in the March 19, 2012, advance online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA.alt

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