The hepatitis C virus is produced in the same part of liver cells as the compound that turns into LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, Dallas scientists have reported. That means that drugs that stop the release of the compound that turns into LDL could be useful to treat hepatitis C infections.
SCIENCE BRIEFS
12:00 AM CDT on Sunday, March 18, 2007
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Scientists link hepatitis C virus, LDL production
The hepatitis C virus is produced in the same part of liver cells as the compound that turns into LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, Dallas scientists have reported. That means that drugs that stop the release of the compound that turns into LDL could be useful to treat hepatitis C infections.
In a study released online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas describe the experiments that showed how hepatitis C virus particles are produced in liver cells. The researchers, led by cell biologist Jin Ye, isolated tiny vesicles from liver cells that contained virus particles in the process of assembling. In those same vesicles, the scientists found substances needed to form VLDL, which turns into LDL when it reaches the bloodstream.
Interestingly, a drug that blocks release of VLDL from liver cells also blocked release of virus particles. The drug, which has been tested in humans as a cholesterol-lowering medication, was never approved because it had bad side effects when given long term, Dr. Ye said.
But, he said, it’s possible that giving the drug short term may be able to thwart hepatitis C infections. Dr. Ye said he and colleagues are in the planning stages of human testing. Other researchers who participated in the study were UT Southwestern’s Hua Huang, Fang Sun, David Owen, Weiping Li, Yan Chen and Michael Gale.
Sue Goetinck Ambrose
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