HCV1b genome evolution under selective pressure of the cyclophilin inhibitor alisporivir during the DEB-025-HCV-203 phase II clinical trial.

Major advances have revolutionized the HCV antiviral treatment field, with interferon-free combinations of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) resulting into success rates of >90% for all HCV genotypes. Nevertheless, viral eradication at a global level stills remains challenging, stimulating the continued search for new affordable pan-genotypic drugs. To overcome selection of drug resistant variants, targeting host proteins can be an attractive mechanism of action.

A near-full length genotypic assay for HCV1b.

A near-full genome genotypic assay for HCV1b was developed, which may prove useful to investigate antiviral drug resistance, given new combination therapies for HCV1 infection. The assay consists of three partially overlapping PCRs followed by Sanger population or Illumina next-generation sequencing. Seventy-seven therapy-naïve samples, spanning the entire diversity range of currently known HCV1b, were used for optimization of PCRs, of which ten were sequenced using Sanger and of these ten, four using Illumina.

Development and validation of a multiplex real-time PCR assay for simultaneous genotyping and human T-lymphotropic virus type 1, 2, and 3 proviral load determination.

The human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) proviral load remains the best surrogate marker for disease progression. Real-time PCR techniques have been developed for detection and quantification of cosmopolitan HTLV type 1a (HTLV-1a) and HTLV-2. Since a growing level of diversity in subtypes and genotypes is observed, we developed a multiplex quantitative PCR for simultaneous detection, genotyping, and quantification of proviral loads of HTLV-1, 2, and 3.

Immunosuppressive activity of a new pteridine derivative (4AZA1378) alleviates severity of TNBS-induced colitis in mice.

Besides TNF, activated T cells play a central role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease. New therapies are still awaited to cure these often debilitating diseases. Natural occurring pteridines such as tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) and neopterin have been reported to have immune modulating activities.

Hybridization between "six-membered" nucleic acids: RNA as a universal information system.

Within the polyA:polyT recognition system, cross-pairing between several nucleic acids with a phosphorylated six-membered carbohydrate (mimic) as repeating unit in the backbone structure has been observed. All investigated nucleic acids (except for beta-homo-DNA) hybridize with RNA, leaving RNA as a versatile biopolymer for informational transfer. [reaction: see text]