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Researchers at the University of
Southern California (USC) found a trigger that is used by the hepatitis C virus
(HCV) to enter liver cells. They discovered that in the early stages of HCV
infection, the virus binds to receptors on the surface of liver cells and
activates PI3K and AKT, proteins that control cell growth and metabolism, and
which allow HCV to enter the cells. According to James Ou, professor of
molecular microbiology and immunology at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, when
the two protein factors are activated, they initiate a group of reactions that
alter the physiology of infected cells. Later, by continuing to disturb this
pathway, HCV may sensitize the liver cells to become cancerous.
Ou has been studying HCV for 20
years and the hepatitis B virus for 30 years. He explained that the next step
is to understand how activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway allows HCV to enter the
cell. Ou also noted that the research has led to the identification of a novel
target for developing new drugs to treat HCV in the form of compounds that
disrupt the PI3K-AKT pathway. These anti-hepatitis drugs would be expected to
prevent the virus from entering, and thus, cause the virus to disappear.
The study, “Transient Activation of
the PI3K-AKT Pathway by Hepatitis C Virus to Enhance Viral Entry,” was
published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry (2012;287(50): 41922–41930).
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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