Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C treatment's side effects can now be studied in the lab
(Medical Xpress)—The adverse side effects of certain hepatitis C medications can now be replicated and observed in Petri dishes and test tubes, thanks to a research team led by Craig Cameron, the Paul Berg ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Nov 16, 2012 |
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Helper T cells, not killer T cells, might be responsible for clearing hepatitis A infection
Helper cells traditionally thought to only assist killer white blood cells may be the frontline warriors when battling hepatitis A infection. These are the findings from a Nationwide Children's Hospital study appearing in ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Jul 16, 2012 |
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Good bugs gone bad: Gut immune cells keep beneficial microbes in their place
The healthy human intestine is colonized with over 100 trillion beneficial, or commensal, bacteria of many different species. In healthy people, these bacteria are limited to the intestinal tissues and have ...
Medical research
Jun 06, 2012 |
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Discovery provides blueprint for new drugs that can inhibit hepatitis C virus
Chemists at the University of California, San Diego have produced the first high resolution structure of a molecule that when attached to the genetic material of the hepatitis C virus prevents it from reproducing.
Medical research
Mar 19, 2012 |
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Stem cells could drive hepatitis research forward
Hepatitis C, an infectious disease that can cause inflammation and organ failure, has different effects on different people. But no one is sure why some people are very susceptible to the infection, while ...
Medical research
Feb 01, 2012 |
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Entry point for hepatitis C infection identified
A molecule embedded in the membrane of human liver cells that aids in cholesterol absorption also allows the entry of hepatitis C virus, the first step in hepatitis C infection, according to research at the University of ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Jan 24, 2012 |
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First trial of a new hepatitis C vaccine shows promise
(Medical Xpress) -- A new vaccine against the chronic liver disease hepatitis C has shown promising results in a first clinical trial in humans, Oxford University researchers report.
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Jan 05, 2012 |
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Toward a vaccine for Ebola
On August 26, 1976, a time bomb exploded in Yambuku, a remote village in Zaire, (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). A threadlike virus known as Ebola had emerged, soon earning a grim distinction as ...
Medical research
Dec 05, 2011 |
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Research finds HIV-killing compound
(Medical Xpress) -- A powerful topical preventative for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, could soon be in the works thanks to a newly discovered molecular compound that research at Texas A&M University and ...
HIV & AIDS
Nov 24, 2011 |
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Veterinary researchers discover first US strains of hepatitis E virus from rabbits
Researchers in the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech have identified the first strains of hepatitis E virus from farmed rabbits in the United States. It is unknown ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Oct 25, 2011 |
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Scientists create new tool for identifying powerful HIV antibodies
A team of NIH scientists has developed a new tool to identify broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) capable of preventing infection by the majority of HIV strains found around the globe, an advance that could help speed ...
HIV & AIDS
May 09, 2013 |
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Sofosbuvir shows promise for chronic hepatitis C infection
(HealthDay)—Sofosbuvir seems to be a promising treatment option for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, according to two studies published online April 23 in the New England Journal of ...
Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes
Apr 23, 2013 |
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Potential therapy for HIV suggested: Blocking key protein boosts body's ability to clear chronic infection
UCLA scientists have shown that temporarily blocking a protein critical to immune response actually helps the body clear itself of chronic infection. Published in the April 12 edition of Science, the findin ...
HIV & AIDS
Apr 11, 2013 |
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Study finds interferon, one of the body's proteins, induces persistent viral infection
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made a counterintuitive finding that may lead to new ways to clear persistent infection that is the hallmark of such diseases as AIDS, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Medical research
Apr 11, 2013 |
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Study reveals Rx target for HPV, Hep C and related cancers
New discoveries by a team of scientists at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans for the first time reveal the inner workings of a master regulator that controls functions as diverse as the ability of nerve cells to "rewire" ...
Medical research
Apr 10, 2013 |
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Hepatitis C is an infectious disease affecting primarily the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years. In some cases, those with cirrhosis will go on to develop liver failure, liver cancer or life-threatening esophageal and gastric varices.
HCV is spread primarily by blood-to-blood contact associated with intravenous drug use, poorly sterilized medical equipment and transfusions. An estimated 130–170 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C. The existence of hepatitis C (originally "non-A non-B hepatitis") was postulated in the 1970s and proven in 1989. It is not known to cause disease in other animals.
The virus persists in the liver in about 85% of those infected. This persistent infection can be treated with medication; peginterferon and ribavirin are the current standard therapy. Overall, between 50–80% of people treated are cured. Those who develop cirrhosis or liver cancer may require a liver transplant. Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver transplantation though the virus usually recurs after transplantation. No vaccine against hepatitis C is currently available.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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