Study of Intracellular Hepatitis C Virus Replication in Vitro

Abstract

HCV is one of the major health problems worldwide with highest prevalence of genotype 4a in Egypt, yet it is poorly understood because of the lack of a robust in vitro model that allows the investigation and understanding of viral pathogenesis and life cycle. HCV genomic structure and protein analysis were extensively studied, however, in order to develop potential drug candidates, strong infection cell culture model for HCV is required. Genomic replicons for HCV are widely used and proved to have strong replication efficiency in cell culture, however, they are not able to produce infectious particles. Genotype specific replication system is necessary to address specific sub-genomic disease phenotypes related to Hepatitis C. In this study we attempt to develop a sustainable infection protocol, which mimics the natural route of infection, using HCV-positive sera from HCV