New Protein Controls Growth of Hepatitis C Virus

Hepatitis C :: New Protein Controls Growth of Hepatitis C Virus

Researchers reveal a new protein that prevents the hepatitis C virus from replicating, which could help devise new drugs against hepatitis C.

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne, infectious disease that can cause liver inflammation, fibrotic scarring of the liver ? or cirrhosis ? and liver cancer.

The virus spreads within its host by replicating its RNA and using it to build proteins that form new viruses and by inhibiting various antiviral proteins inside host cells. By understanding both mechanisms, scientists hope to prevent the virus from replicating, thus stopping the infection.

Stanley M. Lemon and colleagues discovered a new protein involved in stopping the virus from replicating. Called p21-activated kinase 1, the protein is known to play a role in several cellular signaling pathways, but it has not been shown previously to be involved in regulating the replication of hepatitis C virus.

Article: "p21-activated Kinase 1 Is Activated through the Mammalian Target of Rapamycin/p70 S6 Kinase Pathway and Regulates the Replication of Hepatitis C Virus in Human Hepatoma Cells" by Hisashi Ishida, Kui Li, MinKyung Yi, and Stanley M. Lemon