HEPATITIS C-LIKE VIRUSES ARE PRODUCED FROM RABBIT AND HARE DNA

In an paper published by the prestigious scientific journal Scientific Reports, a research team which includes CIBIO-InBIO researchers Eliane Silva and Gertrude Thompson, (with the collaboration of Hugo Osório from i3S) showed that Hepatitis-C like genetic fragments are present in the DNA of rabbits and hares can originate genetic fragments-like the viruses found in humans, when replicated in-vitro in kidney bovine cells.

This innovative model, which has been highlighted by the national newspaper Público, presents a major breakthrough, as it may clarify the origins of the Hepatitis C virus, its life cycle, pathogenesis, evolution and diversity. According to the authors this is the first report of the generation of Hepatitis C-like viruses in a cell culture systemwithout the need for virus or cell manipulation.

This study may also contribute for new therapeutic approaches and perhaps for the production of a vaccine against this virus, the major causative agent of acute and chronic liver disease.

To know more about this topic, please follow the links below:

"Ciência ao Ouvido" |Rádio Nova| November 27, 2016 (Information available in Portuguese) 

"Cientistas da U.Porto lançam pista sobre origem do vírus da Hepatite C" | Notícias UP | October 22, 2016 (Information available in Portuguese)

“E de peças à solta no ADN do coelho criou-se o vírus da hepatite C” | Público| October 12, 2016 (Information available in Portuguese)

To read the national press release for this study, please click here.

To access the original scientific article, please click here.