Genetically Modified Virus: Cure for Hepatits B

University of Witwatersrand, a leading university in Johannesburg, South Africa have found a new way to combat the spread of hepatitis B virus from replicating and potentially increasing the susceptibility of the liver for further damage from this infectious disease.

The traditional way of treating hepatitis B infection is through the use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). Due to relative cost of these drug treatments, countries, specially those that belong to the Third World, are unable to meet the needed supply of their population that are currently battling this highly infectious virus.

Adenovirus and RNA interference (RNAi)

Viruses normally found inside the human body, adenoviruses, were found to be a very important experimental subjects in the pursuit of a cure for hepatitis B. Adenoviruses are normally found in the human body and do not cause any health injury.

A new technique in genetic engineering, called RNA interference, aims to terminate the usual process of gene replication among virus and cancer cells.

It was found out that the introduction of RNA interference in the genetic library of adenoviruses modifies the virus to become helpful in using combating gene replication among HBV particles living inside liver cells (hepatocytes).

Genetically modified adenoviruses enters the liver cells that are infected with hepatitis B virus and halts their reproductive ability. This in turn debilitates the virus and destroys them along the process.

Sergio Carmona and his colleagues at the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa are spearheading this promising study and hopes to begin the preliminary human trial really soon after a successful mice experimental trial which shows up to 90% hepa b virus clearance in the human blood and the liver cells.

The conference held in Chiba, Japan, 2006 Conference of International Society for Cell & Gene Therapy of Cancer, announces this new hope for a more robust treatment or possible cure for hepatitis B virus.

For more information, please visit SciDev.net. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best for this will definitely help our families and friends who have loved ones who are infected by this virus.