Hepatitis C in Liver Cells (IMAGE)
Caption
A study led by Princeton University researchers found that a triple-punch of antibodies both prevented hepatitis C infection and wiped out the disease after it had established itself in laboratory mice. Instead of delivering the antibodies directly, the researchers administered a genetic 'instruction set' that, once in a cell, developed into antibodies that target the portions of the virus that do not mutate. Hepatitis C affects roughly 170 million people worldwide and causes chronic liver damage and cancer. Attempts to develop a hepatitis C vaccine have been hampered by the virus's ability to mutate into numerous subtypes. This image shows liver cells infected with hepatitis C.
Credit
Image by Markus von Schaewen, Princeton University
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