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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Dissecting Innate Immune Signaling in Viral Evasion of Cytokine Production
Published on: March 2, 2014
Innate immunity and hepatitis C virus: eluding the host cell defense
Deborah R Taylor1, Erica Silberstein
1Laboratory of Hepatitis and Related Emerging Agents, Division of Emerging and Transfusion-Transmitted Diseases, Office of Blood Research and Review, CBER FDA, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Deborah.Taylor@FDA.HHS.gov
Abstract:
Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) mono-therapy is largely ineffective for most of the hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients that receive it. The addition of ribavirin to IFN therapy has increased the response rate dramatically. While many factors are implicated in determining the success rate for IFN therapy, viral genotype seems to play a crucial role. Examining differences in viral gene sequences has and will continue to advance our understanding as to how HCV and other viruses circumvent the IFN response. Here we review the different ways that HCV evades the immune response elicited by IFN.
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