Crosstalk Between Pyroptosis and Apoptosis in Hepatitis C Virus-induced Cell Death.

Extensive inflammation in the liver is known to contribute to the pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Apoptosis has, for a long time, been known to act as a mechanism of hepatocyte death, but our previous research also identified inflammasome-mediated pyroptosis in infected and uninfected bystander cells as an additional mechanism of HCV-induced cytopathicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of HCV-induced cell death and to determine the timing and relative contributions of apoptosis and pyroptosis during HCV infection.

A Novel Small Molecule Inhibits Hepatitis C Virus Propagation in Cell Culture.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) can cause acute and chronic infection that is associated with considerable liver-related morbidity and mortality. In recent years, there has been a shift in the treatment paradigm with the discovery and approval of agents that target specific proteins vital for viral replication. We employed a cell culture-adapted strain of HCV and human hepatoma-derived cells lines to test the effects of our novel small-molecule compound (AO13) on HCV.