Scientists have struggled to find ways to grow hepatitis C virus in human cells in the lab -- an essential part of learning how the virus works and developing new effective treatments.
When the scientists expressed the gene SEC14L2, the virus replicated in its wild-type, non-mutated form. Even adding serum samples from HCV-infected patients to these engineered cell lines resulted in virus replication.
"Practically speaking, this means that if scientists want to study HCV from an infected patient, it's now possible to take a blood sample, inoculate the engineered cells, and grow that patient's form of the virus in the lab," says first author.
It's not entirely clear how the protein expressed by SEC14L2 works, says the author, but it appears to inhibit lipids from interacting with dangerous reactive oxygen species, a process that prevents HCV replication.
Edited
Latest News
Metabolic remodeling by vegan diet in young children
Early signs of Parkinson's disease seen in general health parameters
Structural changes in G6PD causes common blood disorder
Reversing cognitive decline in ageing by restoring immune cell metabolism
Why remdesivir does not fully stop the coronavirus
Other Top Stories
Transcription control revisited!
Pathological quiescence of human oligodendrocyte progenitors prevent myelin regeneration
E-bandage generates electricity, speeds wound healing in rats
Novel way synapses can regulate neuronal circuits
CRISPRa targeting the promotor/enhancer rescues obesity
Protocols
Dual-Angle Protocol for Doppler Optical Coherence Tomography to Improve Retinal Blood Flow Measur…
Detection of protein SUMOylation in vivo
In vivo analysis of protein sumoylation induced by a viral protein: Detection of HCMV pp71-induce…
Determination of SUMOylation sites
miR-Selection 3'UTR Target Selection Kit
Publications
Protective plant immune responses are elicited by bacterial outer membrane vesicles
Vegan diet in young children remodels metabolism and challenges the statuses of essential nutrients
A neurophysiological model of speech production deficits in fragile X syndrome
Reduced peroxisomal import triggers peroxisomal retrograde signaling
Shaping Neuronal Fate: Functional Heterogeneity of Direct Microglia-Neuron Interactions
Presentations
Homeostasis
PLANT MITOCHONDRIAL BIOLOGY
Photosynthesis
Endocrine Disorders
THE PITUITARY GLAND
Posters
ACMT 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting Abstracts - New York, NY
Abstracts from the 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting of the British and Irish Hypertension Society (…
ACNP 58th Annual Meeting: Poster Session III
ACNP 58th Annual Meeting: Poster Session II
ACNP 58th Annual Meeting: Poster Session I