TRANSGENIC MOUSE EXPRESSING A FULL-LENGTH HEPATITIS-C VIRUS CDNA

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major causative agent of post transfusion n on-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH), can only infect humans and chimpanzees, We produced nine transgenic mouse lines carrying a full-length HCV cD NA with the human serum amyloid P component (hSAP) promoter that can d irect liver-specific expression, In one of these lines HCV mRNA and HC V core protein were detected in the liver of the transgenic mouse, alt hough the levels of expression were very low. In addition, HCV-related antibody was detected in the serum.