Novel type I interferon IL-28A suppresses hepatitis C viral RNA replication.

ABSTRACT: Interferon alpha (IFN-alpha)-based therapy is the currently approved treatment for chronic hepatitis C viral infection. The sustained antiviral response rate is approximately 50% for genotype-1 infection. The major challenge to the HCV community is to improve antiviral efficacy and to reduce the side effects typically seen in IFNalpha-based therapy. One of the strategies is to identify new interferons, which may have better efficacy and less undesirable side effects. In this report, we examined the role of IL-28A (IFN lambda2), a novel type I IFN, in suppression of human hepatitis C viral RNA replication. We have cloned both the human genomic DNA and cDNA of IL-28A, and evaluated their biological activity using HCV RNA replicon cell culture system. The results show that IL-28A effectively

SUBMITTER: Zhu H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1232870 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature