Advance Reported in Fight Against Hepatitis C

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Advance Reported in Fight Against Hepatitis C

A major new advance in the treatment of hepatitis C and other chronic virus infections may now be possible, according to researchers at the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology. By manipulating it's molecular function, scientists were able to release the body's own immune system to completely eradicate hepatitis C in infected mice. They released the disease-fighting power of the immune system by blocking the interleukin-10 (IL-10) messenger molecule receptor with a simple antibody. "This is a significant advance that holds great promise for the treatment of chronic virus infections," said Kronenberg, LIAI President & Scientific Director in a news release. "The research is particularly exciting because the team was able to completely eradicate the usually chronic infection in the mice, not just tone it down, like many of the current treatment methods for such infections." Kroneberg said the same process may also be applicable to AIDS, cytomegalovirus and other chronic virus infections. The study was published Oct. 16 in the online version of the Journal of Experimental Medicine. A separate study at the Scripps Research Institute produced similar results. More About Hepatitis C:

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Resolution of a Chronic Viral Infection After Interleukin-10 Receptor Blockade Photo: Clipart.com

Thursday October 19, 2006

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