Division of Experimental Virology, Twincore Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Straße 7-9, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
Division of Experimental Virology, Twincore Center for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Feodor-Lynen-Straße 7-9, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
Trends Microbiol. 2019 Apr;27(4):379-380. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.01.001. Epub 2019 Jan 29.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an enveloped, RNA virus transmitted through blood-to-blood contact. It infects humans only and primarily targets liver cells. HCV evades innate and adaptive immunity and establishes chronic infections in 70% of cases. If untreated, 20% of patients develop liver cirrhosis, and a fraction of these progress to hepatocellular carcinoma. Annually, 400000 patients die globally due to HCV infection. Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are licensed and target three viral proteins: the NS3-4A protease needed for processing the viral polyprotein, the NS5A phosphoprotein that regulates RNA replication and virus assembly, and the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (NS5B) that catalyzes genome replication. Combination therapies cure more than 95% of treated patients. Approximately 71 million people are chronically infected and 1.7 million new infections occur annually. Treatment-induced cure does not protect from viral reinfection. A prophylactic vaccine is under development.
丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）是一种包膜 RNA 病毒，通过血液传播。它只感染人类，主要靶向肝细胞。HCV 逃避先天和适应性免疫，在 70%的病例中建立慢性感染。未经治疗，20%的患者会发展为肝硬化，其中一部分会进展为肝细胞癌。每年，全球有 40 万人因 HCV 感染而死亡。直接作用抗病毒药物（DAAs）已获得许可，靶向三种病毒蛋白：用于加工病毒多蛋白的 NS3-4A 蛋白酶、调节 RNA 复制和病毒组装的 NS5A 磷蛋白，以及催化基因组复制的病毒 RNA 依赖性 RNA 聚合酶（NS5B）。联合疗法治愈了超过 95%的接受治疗的患者。大约有 7100 万人慢性感染，每年新增感染 170 万人。治疗引起的治愈并不能防止病毒再感染。一种预防性疫苗正在开发中。
