Protein Kinase C : a key enzyme in mediating interferon-a signalling and a new player in its activity against Hepatitis C infection

Abstract

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (Lauer and Walker, 2001). The World Health Organisation estimates that there are 170 million individuals infected globally, some ~3% of the worlds’ population. While acute infection is usually asymptomatic and can be spontaneously cleared, approximately 50-80% of patients progress to chronic infection. One fifth of chronically infected patients will then develop liver cirrhosis within 20 years and amongst those with cirrhosis, 1-5% develop hepatocellular carcinoma (Cerny and Chisari, 1999; Rosen HR, 2011). Pegylated interferon-a (Peg-IFNa) combined with ribavirin has long been the standard treatment for infection. Interferons are central to the regulation of the antiviral immune response. HCV is able to utilise host factors in order to enter cells, replicate and spread. HCV is also effective in evading the host defence and establishing chronic infection.