Hepatitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Hepatitis, including details on hepatitis a, b, c, causes, symptoms.

Infection of human hepatocyte chimeric mouse with genetically engineered hepatitis C virus and its susceptibility to interferon.

Hiraga N, Imamura M, Tsuge M, Noguchi C, Takahashi S, Iwao E, Fujimoto Y, Abe H, Maekawa T, Ochi H, Tateno C, Yoshizato K, Sakai A, Sakai Y, Honda M, Kaneko S, Wakita T, Chayama K

Department of Medicine and Molecular Science, Division of Frontier Medical Science, Programs for Biomedical Research, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan.

We developed a reverse genetics system of hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes 1a and 2a using infectious clones and human hepatocyte chimeric mice. We inoculated cell culture-produced genotype 2a (JFH-1) HCV intravenously. We also injected genotype 1a CV-H77C clone RNA intrahepatically. Mice inoculated with HCV by both procedures developed measurable and transmissible viremia. Interferon (IFN) alpha treatment resulted in greater reduction of genotype 2a HCV levels than genotype 1a, as seen in clinical practice. Genetically engineered HCV infection system should be useful for analysis of the mechanisms of resistance of HCV to IFN and other drugs.

Published 7 May 2007 in FEBS Lett, 581(10): 1983-7.
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