Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infect liver cells, and persistent infection can lead to cirrhosis of the liver and/or a form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma. Over 4 million Americans have hepatitis C, many more are infected and do not know they have it. Current research using small animal models of HBV and HCV infection are not particularly good, and new models are needed if we are to learn more about how these viruses operate and test new potential therapeutics. Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, have now developed a human liver chimeric mouse model by transplanting a large number of human liver cells into mice lacking three proteins (Fah, Rag2, and Il-2r-gamma) to generate mice with livers in which 95% of the liver cells are human. Of interest, these mice could be infected with HBV and HCV, and mice infected with HCV were responsive to antiviral therapy. This mouse model should prove useful not only for studying HBV and HCV infection and testing antiviral therapies but also for studying other infections microorganisms that target the liver.
If in fact an animal model works as describes here, the expanded use of animals in the research and development of new antiviral therapies will be a huge step forward in developing better therapies. While we have made great advances with the lates new agents for both HBV and HCV, the therapies, especially for hepatitis C, do have side effects.
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