Hepatitis C Manipulates Liver Cells to Evade an Immune Response

[Hep Editors]

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) helps ensure its persistence in the body by tricking liver cells into blunting the interferon-based immune response, Science Magazine reports.
 
Publishing their findings in Nature Medicine, investigators followed up on previous research that found that when HCV invades a liver cell, it causes the cell to activate two genes, known as MYH7 and MYH7B. These genes produce two microRNAs, which are molecules that can impede the development of other proteins.

For more information...
https://www.hepmag.com/article/hepatitis-c-manipulates-liver-cells-evade-immune-response

[Mugwump]

Exactly how HCV evades the immune response is just coming to light. Some of these findings are beginning to show the way to possible effective vaccines against HCV infection. As well as other possibilities for treatment using potentially more effective beta interferon based treatments.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4600576/
It is shameful that DAA treatment is not an option for the majority because of costs. Especially because it is also becoming clear that the levels of infections are starting to spiral in North Africa and other parts of the world. HCV is quickly becoming a wide spread epidemic and the transmission seems to be much more wide spread in certain regions like Egypt for some unknown reason.

Therefore if the costs of DAA treatment and detection of this infection does not become reasonable shortly the only answer to this curse might be the development of an effective vaccine. Perhaps sponsored by the WHO with the help of enlightened groups like the Buffets or Gates foundations. It is obvious that the pharmaceutical industry is pricing itself out of the loop and deserves some serious scorn. Indeed here is hoping that soon someone develops a vaccine and drugs which are better and cheaper and gives the whole medicine for profit industry a good kick in the pants for a change.