Insights from patient who cleared hepatitis C could lead to vaccine

By studying individuals who spontaneously clear hepatitis C infections, a team of researchers has identified viable vaccine targets for a disease that infects 70 million worldwide with case numbers increasing every year. It turns out that a quarter of people who become infected with the hepatitis C virus clear the infection on their own without treatment, while the remaining three-quarters of people develop chronic infections that can last for years. The blood-borne disease – which causes liver cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer – is especially prevalent among people who inject drugs. Direct-acting antivirals developed around a decade ago are 98% effective. But even so, the number of hepatitis C cases has increased year-over-year mainly because early infections are hard to detect, access to treatment is limited and reinfections occur even after treatment. “That’s why there is now a big interest in developing a hepatitis C vaccine,” said Andrew Flyak, assistant professor of...