Open AccessRaloxifene inhibits hepatitis C virus infection and replication
Author(s) -
Takeda Midori,
Ikeda Masanori,
Mori Kyoko,
Yano Masahiko,
Ariumi Yasuo,
Dansako Hiromichi,
Wakita Takaji,
Kato Nobuyuki
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
febs open bio
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.718
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 2211-5463
DOI - 10.1016/j.fob.2012.08.003
Subject(s) - raloxifene , hepatitis c virus , osteoporosis , medicine , interferon , genotype , hepatitis c , virus , vitamin d and neurology , immunology , virology , biology , gene , cancer , biochemistry , estrogen receptor , breast cancer
Postmenopausal women with chronic hepatitis C exhibited a poor response to interferon (IFN) therapy compared to premenopausal women. Osteoporosis is the typical complication that occurs in postmenopausal women. Recently, it was reported that an osteoporotic reagent, vitamin D3, exhibited anti‐hepatitis C virus (HCV) activity. Therefore, we investigated whether or not another osteoporotic reagent, raloxifene, would exhibit anti‐HCV activity in cell culture systems. Here, we demonstrated that raloxifene inhibited HCV RNA replication in genotype 1b and infection in genotype 2a. Raloxifene enhanced the anti‐HCV activity of IFN‐α. These results suggest a link between the molecular biology of osteoporosis and the HCV life cycle.