Review
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Sep 7, 2007; 13(33): 4431-4436
Published online Sep 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i33.4431
New therapeutic opportunities for Hepatitis C based on small RNA
Qiu-Wei Pan, Scot D Henry, Bob J Scholte, Hugo W Tilanus, Harry LA Janssen, Luc JW van der Laan
Qiu-Wei Pan, Departments of Gastroenterology & Hepatology and Surgery, Erasmus MC-University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Scot D Henry, Hugo W Tilanus, Luc JW van der Laan, Department of Surgery, Erasmus MC-University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Bob J Scholte, Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Harry LA Janssen, Department of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Dr. Luc JW van der Laan, Erasmus MC-University Medical Centre, Departments of Surgery and Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Room L458, sGravendijkwal 230, 3015 CE, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. l.vanderlaan@erasmusmc.nl
Telephone: +31-10-4632759 Fax: +31-10-4632793
Received: April 12, 2007
Revised: May 8, 2007
Accepted: May 12, 2007
Published online: September 7, 2007
Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the major causes of chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer and is therefore, the most common indication for liver transplantation. Conventional antiviral drugs such as pegylated interferon-alpha, taken in combination with ribavirin, represent a milestone in the therapy of this disease. However, due to different viral and host factors, clinical success can be achieved only in approximately half of patients, making urgent the requirement of exploiting alternative approaches for HCV therapy. Fortunately, recent advances in the understanding of HCV viral replication and host cell interactions have opened new possibilities for therapeutic intervention. The most recent technologies, such as small interference RNA mediated gene-silencing, anti-sense oligonucleotides (ASO), or viral vector based gene delivery systems, have paved the way to develop novel therapeutic modalities for HCV. In this review, we outline the application of these technologies in the context of HCV therapy. In particular, we will focus on the newly defined role of cellular microRNA (miR-122) in viral replication and discuss its potential for HCV molecular therapy.

Keywords: Hepatitis C virus therapy; miR-122; RNAi; Antisense oligonucleotides; Viral vectors