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Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Two Methods of Heterokaryon Formation to Discover HCV Restriction Factors
Published on: July 16, 2012
Inhibition of subgenomic hepatitis C virus RNA replication in HeLa cells
Tatsuo Kanda1, Osamu Yokosuka, Rintaro Mikata
1Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan. kandat-cib@umin.ac.jp
Background/Aims:
Antiviral therapy such as combination interferon and ribavirin can eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA by up to 40-50%. However, many patients still remain non-responders to this treatment for various reasons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of interferon or ribavirin treatment on subgenomic HCV RNA replication in 'non-hepatic' HeLa cells.
Methodology:
Huh-7 or HeLa cells harboring HCV replicon were constructed by using cellular RNA of Huh-7 harboring HCV replicon RNAs, named as C13-3 cells. We also tested whether interferon or ribavirin can suppress HCV RNA in HeLa cells.
Results:
Huh-7 or HeLa cells harboring HCV replicon RNAs were constructed by using cellular RNA of C13-3 cells than using in vitro-transcribed RNA. Ribavirin at 1 microg/mL or 10 microg/mL did not suppress colony formation in HeLa cells, but at 100 microg/mL suppression was observed. Interferon-alpha 2b suppressed HCV replication even at 1 U/mL.
Conclusions:
HeLa cells harboring HCV replicon RNAs also might be useful for the development of antiviral drugs.
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