Discoveries Hepatitis C

Recent Cuban discoveries on the Hepatitis C virus

Havana, October 27. Recent discoveries at the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), Havana, Cuba, on the life cycle of the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) have contributed to a better understanding of this infectious disease. Cuban scientists have found for the first time nucleocapsid-like particles in the nucleus of hepatocytes from a chronically HCV-infected patient. The HCV core protein was also detected in the nucleus and the nucleolus of hepatocytes [Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2003, Oct 10:310 (1): 54-58]. Detection and localization of the HCV antigens in the liver could be important to study the host-virus interactions at the cellular level.

Researchers from the Division of Vaccines evaluated the immunogenicity of the Hepatitis C core Antigen (HCcAg) by the intranasal route and they found the HCcAg to induce a strong immune response. Preliminary data suggested the ability of the HCcAg to efficiently enhance and modulate the host immune response against the Hepatitis B surface Antigen (HBsAg). This work evidenced the synergistic interaction between HBsAg and HCcAg in terms of adjuvancity. Further studies directed to explore the capacity of HCcAg to improve and modulate the immune response to homologous and heterologous antigens couple, inserted or added to the particle are in progress [Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2003, Oct 10:310 (1): 59-63].

By using the yeast Pichia pastoris as an appropriate host, the relationship between the HCcAg processing and the HCV nucleocapsid composition and morphogenesis was also studied at CIGB. Scientists found that the HCcAg assembly took place primary in the cell nucleus [Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 2003, Oct 10: 310 (1): 48-53]. It is thought that HCcAg plays an important role in viral assembly. The relevance of the various HCcAg populations and particulate structures found for HCV morphogenesis and pathogenesis in vivo remains to be demonstrated.

HCV infection represents a major problem of public health with around 350 millions of chronically infected individuals worldwide. Infection with HCV is chronic in more than 80% of infected persons. At the present, there is not available prophylactic vaccine against this disease and most research is in pre-clinical phase. Antiviral treatments against HCV are aggressive, expensive and generally effective in less than 50% of cases.

The R&D project "Development of a therapeutic vaccine against Hepatitis C virus" has been included in the project portfolio along with other 19 biomedical projects and published in the web site http://gndp.cigb.edu.cu, to facilitate the access of the medical community, companies and research institutions to the most up to date R&D results at CIGB. The CIGB is looking for corporate partnership for joint development and clinical trials, because a strategic alliance would speed up this project. Competitive advantages of the CIGB to perform the project are: more than 15 years experience in vaccine research and development, highly skilled staff and self-reliant laboratories.