Premium
Hepatitis C virus entry: beyond receptors
Author(s) -
Meredith Luke W.,
Wilson Garrick K.,
Fletcher Nicola F.,
McKeating Jane A.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
reviews in medical virology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.06
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1099-1654
pISSN - 1052-9276
DOI - 10.1002/rmv.723
Subject(s) - cd81 , hepatitis c virus , scavenger receptor , tetraspanin , occludin , viral entry , receptor , biology , virus , population , hepatitis c , immunology , virology , computational biology , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , tight junction , viral replication , genetics , biochemistry , lipoprotein , environmental health , cholesterol
SUMMARY HCV is a blood‐borne pathogen that affects approximately 3% of the global population and leads to progressive liver disease. Recent advances have identified an essential role for host cell molecules: tetraspanin CD81, scavenger receptor B1 and the tight junction proteins claudin‐1 and occludin in HCV entry, suggesting a complex multi‐step process. The conserved nature of this receptor‐dependent step in the viral life cycle offers an attractive target for therapeutic intervention. Evidence is emerging that additional factors other than classical receptors, such as inflammatory mediators regulate the ability of hepatocytes to support HCV entry, and as such may provide potential avenues for drug design and development. In this review, we summarise the recent literature on HCV entry mechanisms with a view to realising the future potential of therapeutically targeting this process. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.