Hepatitis C and alcohol: fundamental and translational research directions

Infection with hepatitis C and the alcohol abuse that frequently accompanies it, impose major worldwide healthcare burdens. The scientific knowledge base that would inform and direct the development of more effective treatment and intervention strategies for these linked pandemics is inadequate. Therefore, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) organized a workshop in which a multidisciplinary group of experts was asked to review the state-of-the-science specific to alcohol in the context of hepatitis C infection. The panel was charged with identifying newly emerging areas likely to lead to advances in fundamental research and to identify those with the greatest potential for accelerating the development of more effective treatment options. The workshop panel made recommendations for research in four major categories: clinical studies of alcohol and HCV; virology and immunology; liver fibrosis and mechanisms of liver injury; and the development of model systems. This article summarizes the panel's deliberations and their recommendations for future research on alcohol and hepatitis C.