An experimental mouse model for hepatitis C virus

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection affects approximately 170 million people and is a major global health problem because infected individuals can develop liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Despite significant improvements in antiviral drugs, only around 50% of treated patients with genotype 1 and 4 demonstrate HCV clearance. Unfortunately, an anti-HCV vaccine is still not available. To progress treatment of HCV, it is necessary to understand the mechanism(s) by which HCV infects hepatocytes, and how the host immune response prevents the spread of the virus. Because HCV infects only humans and chimpanzees, it is difficult to evaluate immune response mechanisms, and the effects of chemicals and new technologies on these response mechanisms. These difficulties underline the importance of establishing a small HCV-infected animal model. This review focuses on the progress made in recent years towards the development of an experimental mouse model for HCV.