ade by hepatitis C viruses. "The replicon experiments enabled us to identify a protein known as NS5B that attaches to the retinoblastoma protein, a critical tumor suppressor, and accelerates its breakdown," Lemon said. He continued: "The way NS5B docks with the retinoblastoma protein is biochemically almost identical to the way a protein made by human papilloma virus does so to produce similar cancer-promoting results. That's interesting, because the two viruses are so different --HPV is a DNA virus, while hepatitis C is composed of RNA."

Understanding just how hepatitis C infection leads to the development of cancer is of critical importance, Lemon said. With no one "silver bullet" cure for hepatitis C on the horizon, he explained, researchers must use new knowledge to maximize the effectiveness of various virus-fighting therapies now under development, managing the care of chronically infected patients in ways that will best help them avoid liver cancer.

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Source:University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston


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