TARGETS FOR INHIBITION OF HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-REPLICATION

Considerable progress has been made in characterizing the proteins inv olved in hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication, despite the lack of a ce ll culture system. A number of systems have been developed ot examine the processes involved in viral replication, including the initiation and processing of the viral proteins required for RNA replication, the unwinding activities of the RNA helicase and the synthesis of RNA by the viral polymerase. These processes have been examined using individ ually cloned proteins expressed in various in vitro systems, which may be suitable targets for antiviral agents. The viral helicase and prot ease domains have now been crystallized, which may enable the rational design of specific inhibitors. The recent developments in HCV researc h in understanding the function of the viral non-structural proteins a nd the establishment of in vitro screening assays may aid in the devel opment of new antiviral agents.