Hepatitis C virus infection and related liver disease: the quest for the best animal model

摘要: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) making the most common liver failure transplantation. HCV estimated to chronically affect 130 million individuals lead more than 350,000 deaths per year worldwide. A vaccine currently not available. The recently developed direct acting antivirals (DAAs) have markedly increased efficacy standard care but are efficient enough completely cure all infected patients their toxicity limits use in with advanced disease, co-morbidity or transplant recipients. Because host restriction, which limited humans non-human primates, vivo study infection has been hampered since its discovery 20 years ago. chimpanzee remains physiological model innate adaptive immune responses, ethically difficult now very restricted regulated. development small animal that allows robust achieved using chimeric immunodeficient mice, therefore suitable for studying responses. Nevertheless, these models allowed go deeply comprehension virus-host interactions assess different therapeutic approaches. immunocompetent mouse were established by genetic humanization shown an interesting improvement concerning responses still absence complete life cycle virus. In this review, we will focus on relevant available usefulness deciphering virus-induced as well evaluation new therapeutics. We also discuss perspectives future hurdles development.