Kerkar Nanda, Hartjes Kayla
Massachusetts General Brigham for Children, 175 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Pathogens. 2024 Dec 29;14(1):11. doi: 10.3390/pathogens14010011.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects both pediatric and adult populations and is an important cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. There are differences in the screening and management of HCV between pediatric and adult patients, which have been highlighted in this review. Direct-acting antiviral agents (DAA) have made the cure of HCV possible, and fortunately, these medications are approved down to three years of age. However, treatment in the pediatric population has its own set of challenges. The World Health Organization (WHO) has made a pledge to eliminate HCV as a public health threat by 2030. Despite this, HCV continues to remain a global health burden, leading to cirrhosis as well as hepatocellular carcinoma, and is a reason for liver transplantation in the adult population. Although rare, these complications can also affect the pediatric population. A variety of new technologies t have become available in the current era and can advance our understanding of HCV are discussed. Artificial intelligence, machine learning, liver organoids, and liver-on-chip are some examples of techniques that have the potential to contribute to our understanding of the disease and treatment process in HCV. Despite efforts over several decades, a successful vaccine against HCV has yet to be developed. This would be an important tool to help in worldwide efforts to eliminate the virus.
丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染儿童和成人，是全球慢性肝病的重要病因。本综述强调了儿童和成人患者在HCV筛查和管理方面存在差异。直接抗病毒药物（DAA）使治愈HCV成为可能，幸运的是，这些药物已获批用于三岁及以上儿童。然而，儿童群体的治疗有其自身的一系列挑战。世界卫生组织（WHO）已承诺到2030年消除HCV对公共卫生的威胁。尽管如此，HCV仍然是全球健康负担，可导致肝硬化以及肝细胞癌，也是成人肝移植的一个原因。虽然罕见，但这些并发症也会影响儿童群体。本文讨论了当前时代出现的多种可增进我们对HCV理解的新技术。人工智能、机器学习、肝类器官和芯片肝就是一些有潜力促进我们对HCV疾病和治疗过程理解的技术实例。尽管经过几十年的努力，针对HCV的成功疫苗尚未研发出来。这将是助力全球消除该病毒努力的一项重要工具。
