Year: 2013
Type: article
Abstract: Innate immunity controls pathogen replication and spread. Yet, certain pathogens, such as Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), escape immune elimination and establish persistent infections that promote chronic inflammation and related diseases. Whereas HCV regulatory proteins that attenuate antiviral responses are known, those that promote inflammation and liver injury remain to be identified. Here, we show that transient expression of HCV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), NS5B, in mouse liver and human hepatocytes results in production of small RNA species that activate innate immune signaling via TBK1-IRF3 and NF-κB and induce cytokine production, including type I interferons (IFN) and IL-6. NS5B-expression also results in liver damage.
Source: Hepatology
DOI: 10.1002/hep.26201
Authors: Gisa Gerold, Thomas Pietschmann
Language: English
Topic: Hepatitis C virus research
Subfield: Hepatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2026092956