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Abstract Details
The role of human lipoproteins for hepatitis C virus persistence
1Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg, Germany; Integrative Analysis of Pathogen-Induced Compartments, Leibniz ScienceCampus InterACt, Hamburg, Germany.
2Institute for Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, a joint venture between the Medical School Hannover and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Hanover, Germany. Electronic address: thomas.pietschmann@twincore.de.
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a hepatotropic virus that establishes a chronic infection in most individuals. Effective treatments are available; however, many patients are not aware of their infection. Consequently, they do not receive treatment and HCV transmission remains high, particularly among groups at high risk of exposure such as people who inject intravenous drugs. A prophylactic vaccine may reduce HCV transmission, but is currently not available. HCV has evolved immune evasion strategies, which facilitate persistence and complicate development of a protective vaccine. The peculiar association of HCV particles with human lipoproteins is thought to facilitate evasion from humoral immune response and viral homing to liver cells. A better understanding of these aspects provides the basis for development of protective vaccination strategies. Here, we review key information about the composition of HCV particles, the mechanisms mediating lipoprotein incorporation, and the functional consequences of this interaction.