 |
|
Grapefruit compound may help combat hepatitis C infection
February 05, 2008MGH study reveals mechanism key to maintaining chronic infection, potential therapy target
A compound that naturally occurs in grapefruit and other citrus fruits may be able to block the secretion of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from infected cells, a process required to maintain chronic infection. A team of researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Engineering in Medicine (MGH-CEM) report that HCV is bound to very low-density lipoprotein (vLDL, a so-called "bad" cholesterol) when it is secreted from liver cells and that the viral secretion required to pass infection to other cells may be blocked by the common flavonoid naringenin.
If the results of this study extend to human patients, a combination of naringenin and antiviral medication might allow patient to clear the virus from their livers. The report will appear in an upcoming issue of the journal Hepatology and has been released online.
"By finding that HCV is secreted from infected cells by latching onto vLDL, we have identified a key pathway in the viral lifecycle," says Yaakov Nahmias, PhD, of the MGH-CEM, the paper's lead author. "These results suggest that lipid-lowering drugs, as well as supplements, such as naringenin, may be combined with traditional antiviral therapies to reduce or even eliminate HCV from infected patients"
HCV is the leading cause of chronic viral liver disease in the United States and infects about 3 percent of the world population. Current antiviral medications are effective in only half of infected patients, 70 percent of whom develop chronic infection that can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer. Since the virus does not integrate its genetic material into the DNA of infected cells the way HIV does, totally clearing the virus could be possible if new cells were not being infected by secreted virus.
"Identifying the route by which HCV is released from cells introduces a new therapeutic target," says Martin Yarmush, MD, PhD, director of the MGH-CEM and the paper's senior author. "That pathway's dependence on cholesterol metabolism could allow us to interfere with viral propagation to other cells and tissues, using tools already developed for atherosclerosis treatment." Yarmush is the Helen Andrus Benedict Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering at Harvard Medical School (HMS).
Grapefruit's bitter taste is caused the presence of the flavonoid naringin, which is metabolized into naringenin, an antioxidant previously reported to help lower cholesterol levels. Considerable research has suggested that HCV infects liver cells by, in essence, "hitching a ride" onto the natural lipoprotein-cholesterol metabolic pathway. Since earlier evidence has shown that naringenin can reduce secretion of vLDL from liver cells, the researchers examined whether the compound might also lower HCV secretion from infected cells. Their experiments confirmed that naringenin does reduce the secretion of HCV from infected cell lines and showed that the compound inhibits the mechanism for secreting a specific lipoprotein that binds HCV.
"This work presents the possibility that non-toxic levels of a dietary supplement, such as naringenin, could effectively block HCV secretion," says Raymond Chung, MD, MGH director of Hepatology and one of the study authors, "This approach might eventually be used to treat patients who do not respond to or cannot take traditional interferon-based treatment or be used in combination with other agents to boost success rates."
Massachusetts General Hospital
"By finding that HCV is secreted from infected cells by latching onto vLDL, we have identified a key pathway in the viral lifecycle," says Yaakov Nahmias, PhD, of the MGH-CEM, the paper's lead author. "These results suggest that lipid-lowering drugs, as well as supplements, such as naringenin, may be combined with traditional antiviral therapies to reduce or even eliminate HCV from infected patients"
HCV is the leading cause of chronic viral liver disease in the United States and infects about 3 percent of the world population. Current antiviral medications are effective in only half of infected patients, 70 percent of whom develop chronic infection that can lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer. Since the virus does not integrate its genetic material into the DNA of infected cells the way HIV does, totally clearing the virus could be possible if new cells were not being infected by secreted virus.
"Identifying the route by which HCV is released from cells introduces a new therapeutic target," says Martin Yarmush, MD, PhD, director of the MGH-CEM and the paper's senior author. "That pathway's dependence on cholesterol metabolism could allow us to interfere with viral propagation to other cells and tissues, using tools already developed for atherosclerosis treatment." Yarmush is the Helen Andrus Benedict Professor of Surgery and Bioengineering at Harvard Medical School (HMS).
Grapefruit's bitter taste is caused the presence of the flavonoid naringin, which is metabolized into naringenin, an antioxidant previously reported to help lower cholesterol levels. Considerable research has suggested that HCV infects liver cells by, in essence, "hitching a ride" onto the natural lipoprotein-cholesterol metabolic pathway. Since earlier evidence has shown that naringenin can reduce secretion of vLDL from liver cells, the researchers examined whether the compound might also lower HCV secretion from infected cells. Their experiments confirmed that naringenin does reduce the secretion of HCV from infected cell lines and showed that the compound inhibits the mechanism for secreting a specific lipoprotein that binds HCV.
"This work presents the possibility that non-toxic levels of a dietary supplement, such as naringenin, could effectively block HCV secretion," says Raymond Chung, MD, MGH director of Hepatology and one of the study authors, "This approach might eventually be used to treat patients who do not respond to or cannot take traditional interferon-based treatment or be used in combination with other agents to boost success rates."
Massachusetts General Hospital
Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud
This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size.
CPAP Arctic Ocean Urinary Incontinence Radiation Head And Neck Cancer Dead Zone Bone Marrow Yellowstone Nanotechnology Lead Exposure Learning Carbon Monoxide Cosmic Rays Hearing Video Games Blood Vessel Embryonic Stem Cell Autism Amyloid-beta Hiv Vaccine Bone Loss Soybean Bipolar Disorder Drugs Meningitis
See More: Science News Tags
Hepatitis Current Events and Hepatitis News RSSYoung offenders' health critical to rehabilitation
The physical and mental health needs of juvenile offenders should be treated as a priority if offenders held in detention have any real hope of rehabilitation, according to new research from the University of Adelaide, Australia.
Transplant drug stimulates immune memory
Rapamycin, a drug given to transplant recipients to suppress their immune systems, has a paradoxical effect on cells responsible for immune memory, scientists at the Emory Vaccine Center have discovered.
Good news for some hard-to-treat hepatitis C patients
In a multi-center trial led by a Saint Louis University researcher, investigators found that a new combination therapy of daily consensus interferon and ribavirin helps some hepatitis C patients who have not responded to previous treatment.
FibroTest attributes to generate decision trees in hepatitis C
In recent years the use of non-invasive biomarkers to assess liver fibrosis has become widely accepted.
DKK-3 and WIF-1: Proteins related to liver cancer development?
Liver cancer is one of the most fatal human malignancies and the third most frequent cause of tumor-related death, about half a million people globally each year.
Low-fat diet helps genetically predisposed animals avoid liver cancer
In a study comparing two strains of mice, one susceptible to developing cancer and the other not, researchers found that a high-fat diet predisposed the cancer-susceptible strain to liver cancer, and that by switching to a low-fat diet early in the experiment, the same high-risk mice avoided the malignancy.
Subclinical markers predict relapse in juvenile idiopathic arthritis post methotrexate withdrawal
Elevated levels of the inflammatory biomarkers Myeloid Related Protein (MRP) 8/14 predict an increased risk of relapse following withdrawal of methotrexate (MTX) therapy in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who have achieved inactive disease status.
NEJM Study Points to New Era in Hepatitis C Treatment
For patients with the most common form of hepatitis C, the addition of a hepatitis C-specific protease inhibitor called telaprevir to the current standard therapy can significantly improve the chances of being cured, and it does it in half the time of standard therapy alone.
MicroRNAs grease the cell's circadian clockwork
Most of our cells possess an internal clock, a group of genes displaying a cyclic expression pattern that reaches a peak once a day.
Liver disease 'shrunk' by blood-pressure drug
A blood-pressure medicine has been shown to reverse the effects of early-stage liver failure in some patients.
More Hepatitis Current Events and Hepatitis News Articles
 |
Dr. Melissa Palmer's Guide To Hepatitis and Liver Disease by Melissa Palmer (Author) In the United States alone, more than four million people are infected with the hepatitis C virus, and chronic liver disease is the twelfth leading cause of death. In this revised and updated edition of her groundbreaking 2000 book, renowned hepatologist Dr. Melissa Palmer discusses all facets of liver disease, from symptoms and tests to treatment options and lifestyle changes. In addition, this comprehensive handbook reveals cutting-edge research on the dangers of hepatitis C, one of the world's fasting-growing microbial threats. |
 |
Hepatitis C Cookbook: Easy and Delicious Recipes by Cumberland House Publishing Hepatitis C is a potentially fatal virus that attacks the liver. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Hepatitis C has already infected an estimated four to five million Americans, and worldwide it may have infected as many as 200 million. Most experts agree that if the rate of Hepatitis C infection isn’t curbed soon, it will eventually kill more people each year than AIDS. However, Hepatitis C is not always fatal, and it can be fought successfully. For many who suffer from the virus, eating properly can delay the end stages leading to cirrhosis of the liver. It also can diminish the uncomfortable symptoms of the disease. The Hepatitis C Cookbook has been prepared with the special dietary needs of people suffering from Hepatitis C in mind. Hepatitis C does not have... |
 |
Home Access FDA Approved Hepatitis C Test System by Home Access Besides being fast, convenient and accurate, the home access Hepatitis C Test system is easy to use. Each test kit comes with a detailed instructions booklet with graphic illustrations that take you through pre-test registration and counseling; collecting |
 |
Living With Hepatitis C For Dummies by Nina L. Paul (Author), Gina Pollichino (Foreword) A comprehensive, empathetic guide for anyone suffering from this serious liver disease Approximately 4 million Americans and 170 million people worldwide suffer from hepatitis C, a viral liver disease that is treatable but not curable. It accounts for more than 40 percent of U.S. liver disease deaths–about 8,000 to 10,000 people annually–and is the most common reason for liver transplantation. This compassionate guide explains how hepatitis C affects the liver and the body and provides solid advice on today’s treatment options–from drugs (and their side effects) to transplants and alternative therapies–as well as tips on dealing with the emotional and financial burdens the disease brings with it. Nina L Paul, PhD (New York, NY) earned her doctorate in infectious... |
 |
HEPATITUS GIANT MICROBE by Giant Microbes HAV is spread primarily by unsanitary food and water ? HBV is transmitted in bodily fluids and can cause chronic liver disease ? HCV is perhaps the most dangerous: no vaccine is available ? HDV occurs only in the presence of HBV ? HEV is relatively mild and non-chronic ? HFV and HGV are newly identified; their connection with liver disease is debated |
 |
The Future of Hepatitis C Hepatitis C has long been characterized as a wasting incurable disease. But this serious, chronic inflammation of the liver no longer carries that fearsome reputation. Today, many people live well with Hepatitis C because of new medicines that keep the virus suppressed and allow the liver to function normally for decades. In this program we highlight the progress made in treating hepatitis C over the past several years and look ahead to even more success against the virus in the future. This program is part of the award winning public television series Healthy Body, Healthy Mind. This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply. |
|
Aids & Hepatitis Digest by Ccm International Ltd Provides information to Air Force comptroller personell relating to mission accomplishment, to assist them in solving problems and improving efficiency of operation and to communicate new developments and techniques | |
 |
Dj Hepatitis Tofuburger by Cock Rock Disco |
 |
The Hepatitis C Help Book, Revised Edition: A Groundbreaking Treatment Program Combining Western and Eastern Medicine for Maximum Wellness and Healing by Misha Ruth Cohen O.M.D. L. Ac. (Author), Robert Gish (Author), Kalia Doner (Author) A fully updated and revised edition of an important health guide, including the latest information on optimum interferon protocol. Hepatitis C has been called "the emergent and preeminent public-health problem of the twenty-first century--surpassing HIV." It has also been dubbed "The Shadow Epidemic," because it is one of the most clandestine of viruses and infects healthy people who have no idea they are being attacked by something they can't even detect. Now, the two experts on Hepatitis C who teamed up to write the first comprehensive guide to orthodox and alternative treatment options have revised and fully updated the book to include recent findings in the field. Along with programs for self-care, nutritional and fitness plans and a comprehensive Western and Chinese medical... |
 |
The First Year: Hepatitis C: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Da Capo Press The fifth-year anniversary of the book ushers in a new phase of treatment and information, including protease inhibitors (which have been so successful in treating HIV), split-liver transplants, and prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines for HCV. Bruce and Montanarelli also offer updated information on medications that are toxic to the liver; Eastern and Western approaches to healing; nutrition guides; the types of hepatitis that have been identified and what is known; and living with coinfection (HCV and HIV, HBV, and HAV). Alarming statistics: Hepatitis C is the most common bloodborne virus: It has infected 300 million people worldwide (4.1 million in the U.S.) and kills 8,000 to 10,000 Americans each year. About 26,000 people in the U.S. are infected yearly. Chronic hepatitis C is the... |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |