Molecular virology of the hepatitis C virus: implication for novel therapies

With the advent of second-generation agents that for the first time specifically target individual HCV proteins, HCV-specific therapy has arrived.The study of HCV molecular virology has helped make this possible and is helping us to identify additional new antiviral targets that will be targeted by third-generation drugs. Key to these efforts is the development of high-efficiency HCV replicons. The future effective pharmacologic control of HCV will likely consist of a cocktail of simultaneously administered virus-specific agents with independent targets. This should minimize the emergence of resistance against any single agent. The way we treat HCV should change dramatically over the next few years.