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Cirrhosis of the liver
Is there anyone here who is suffering fromt this disease? If so, did you find help in rehabilitation? I will tell my own story after I know that I am in the right place.
Protease inhibitors disrupt hepatitis C replication
BY LAURA BEIL
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS - (KRT) - Texas scientists have discovered how the hepatitis C virus can disarm the body's defenses, allowing it to become a permanent occupant inside cells.
Laboratory experiments published online Thursday in the journal ScienceExpress also suggested that drugs already being tested in patients could restore the crippled immune response, allowing a cell to rid itself of virus within days.
The discovery offers a blueprint for new treatments of the deadly infection.
Hepatitis C, which is most commonly spread through contaminated blood or IV drug use, often leads to a persistent, chronic infection. It is the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States. Under the best circumstances, current drugs - which must be taken for months, and come with sometimes brutal side effects - only cure about half the people who try them. An estimated 3.9 million Americans have been infected.
"There's a desperate need for new, more effective drugs to fight hepatitis C," said Michael Gale, a researcher with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Gale and colleagues from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston conducted the new experiments.
The research team discovered that the hepatitis C virus drops a kind of precision bomb once it invades a cell, releasing an enzyme that disables a molecule called interferon regulatory factor 3, or IRF-3. Without IRF-3, the cell's immune response stalls. With the immune system no longer around to restrain it, hepatitis C gains free reign of the cell, making copies of itself, and moving on to infect other cells.
But the UT Southwestern scientists were able to restore IRF-3 by exposing the cells to drugs called protease inhibitors. Once the cell was awash in protease inhibitors, the hepatitis C virus was unable to take over. The cell's immune system resurrected, and the virus vanished.
"This is, I think, the weak link in the virus's ability to persist," Gale said.
And pharmaceutical companies are already testing protease inhibitors in small groups of patients, Gale said, so experts should know soon how the drugs fare in patients, not just cells.
A second paper published with Gale's study explains more about how IRF-3 and its team of molecules protect cells. "This is a mechanism that is actually used by many viruses," said John Hiscott of McGill University in Montreal. The fact that protease inhibitors restored IRF-3, he said, has implications for many viral infections beyond hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C experts, meanwhile, are pleased to have a new avenue to pursue. "We found something else that may give us a handle on getting rid of this virus," said Leslye Johnson, who heads research into liver infections at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. If Gale's discovery leads to a better, easier treatment for hepatitis C, she said, "It will be a blessing for the population."
Other UT Southwestern researchers involved in the study were Eileen Foy, Chunfu Wang and Rhea Sumpter.
---
BY LAURA BEIL
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS - (KRT) - Texas scientists have discovered how the hepatitis C virus can disarm the body's defenses, allowing it to become a permanent occupant inside cells.
Laboratory experiments published online Thursday in the journal ScienceExpress also suggested that drugs already being tested in patients could restore the crippled immune response, allowing a cell to rid itself of virus within days.
The discovery offers a blueprint for new treatments of the deadly infection.
Hepatitis C, which is most commonly spread through contaminated blood or IV drug use, often leads to a persistent, chronic infection. It is the leading cause of liver transplants in the United States. Under the best circumstances, current drugs - which must be taken for months, and come with sometimes brutal side effects - only cure about half the people who try them. An estimated 3.9 million Americans have been infected.
"There's a desperate need for new, more effective drugs to fight hepatitis C," said Michael Gale, a researcher with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Gale and colleagues from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston conducted the new experiments.
The research team discovered that the hepatitis C virus drops a kind of precision bomb once it invades a cell, releasing an enzyme that disables a molecule called interferon regulatory factor 3, or IRF-3. Without IRF-3, the cell's immune response stalls. With the immune system no longer around to restrain it, hepatitis C gains free reign of the cell, making copies of itself, and moving on to infect other cells.
But the UT Southwestern scientists were able to restore IRF-3 by exposing the cells to drugs called protease inhibitors. Once the cell was awash in protease inhibitors, the hepatitis C virus was unable to take over. The cell's immune system resurrected, and the virus vanished.
"This is, I think, the weak link in the virus's ability to persist," Gale said.
And pharmaceutical companies are already testing protease inhibitors in small groups of patients, Gale said, so experts should know soon how the drugs fare in patients, not just cells.
A second paper published with Gale's study explains more about how IRF-3 and its team of molecules protect cells. "This is a mechanism that is actually used by many viruses," said John Hiscott of McGill University in Montreal. The fact that protease inhibitors restored IRF-3, he said, has implications for many viral infections beyond hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C experts, meanwhile, are pleased to have a new avenue to pursue. "We found something else that may give us a handle on getting rid of this virus," said Leslye Johnson, who heads research into liver infections at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. If Gale's discovery leads to a better, easier treatment for hepatitis C, she said, "It will be a blessing for the population."
Other UT Southwestern researchers involved in the study were Eileen Foy, Chunfu Wang and Rhea Sumpter.
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Would love to hear more about this new treatment coming out that kills the virus in 3 days!!! Can you attach the links or give me information on when this should be available in the US for treatment? Who do I talk to about getting into a trial?? Any information would be great!
As most of you are aware, my 15 year old daughter has stage 4 and has not responded to any treatment so far.. Contracted from me at birth. Currently on daily infergen, don't think she is responding to this either...Already tried Pegasys and Peg Intron with little success. We are thinking of adding zadaxin to this or Pegasys next. I am going crazy with worry. Don't know how I am coping any more...She just dosn't get a break...I need to find something that will work...Her albumin is slipping below normal now which probably means her liver took a turn for the worse even with this past 52 weeks of treatments. Any information you could provide about new treatments and when they will be available would be great.
Thank you
Jodi
As most of you are aware, my 15 year old daughter has stage 4 and has not responded to any treatment so far.. Contracted from me at birth. Currently on daily infergen, don't think she is responding to this either...Already tried Pegasys and Peg Intron with little success. We are thinking of adding zadaxin to this or Pegasys next. I am going crazy with worry. Don't know how I am coping any more...She just dosn't get a break...I need to find something that will work...Her albumin is slipping below normal now which probably means her liver took a turn for the worse even with this past 52 weeks of treatments. Any information you could provide about new treatments and when they will be available would be great.
Thank you
Jodi
Great news. It makes it so much easier to go ahead with this s@#*. Stay strong and stay clear. Thanks for posting the news. Mike
Hi,I'm starting tx soon I just got my script from my G.I. He says I'll be getting blood tests every 2 weeks and seeing him every 4 weeks.My primary started me on Welbutrin to help stop smoking months ago. For tx he added Lexapro,Ativan and Vicodin.He seems happy to have a regular costomer. I call these pills my arsonal.
My GI said he could prescripe medications also and he also said I could go to a pych for A.d's. It seems in my case my primary is in charge of my meds.Maybe your GI will be more helpful with scripts Hope you feel well and good luck.
My GI said he could prescripe medications also and he also said I could go to a pych for A.d's. It seems in my case my primary is in charge of my meds.Maybe your GI will be more helpful with scripts Hope you feel well and good luck.
I had a 24yr transfused infection, went into complete liver failure, 9-12-2001, crossed over, came back. 2wks later, tested for hep c. My doc put me in a study that paid for all meds (peg-infr-riba) and I cl@4wks, now SVR 11mo-2b. I'm still ESLD (end stage liver disease) & should be on a transplant list. I'm now 20 mo past my est. death date. And feel great!
I handled all sx w/otc drugs , herbs, nutritional suppliments diet and exercise, meditation and marijuanna. Never really had the riba rage.
Cutting out drinking and other neg habits was never a problem for me. I only had to die once!
My other is opening for ZZ Top next month and I'm so excited to meet Dusty Hill, a very out spoken Hep C survivor. I want to tell him how sharing his story gave me the strenght to see tx thru. Just as Warren Zevon gives me courage to live now.
So, sharing is good. And inspiration comes in many forms.
I handled all sx w/otc drugs , herbs, nutritional suppliments diet and exercise, meditation and marijuanna. Never really had the riba rage.
Cutting out drinking and other neg habits was never a problem for me. I only had to die once!
My other is opening for ZZ Top next month and I'm so excited to meet Dusty Hill, a very out spoken Hep C survivor. I want to tell him how sharing his story gave me the strenght to see tx thru. Just as Warren Zevon gives me courage to live now.
So, sharing is good. And inspiration comes in many forms.
Gatorade was more recommended than water by my gastro. Apparently, too much water washes out certain metabolical needs in the body that Gatorade replenishes. He may have been talking about electrolytes.
Sam-E has helped a lot and he highly recommends being on it. Pricey but effective. Sav-On currently has a 2 for 1 Sam-E by Naturemade. Get the 30 pack double strength, then you only need to take one tab a day. The standard requires 2 tabs a day. Better hurry, sale ends Saturday!
As some of you may know, I'm 1A and I've been through three failed treatments and am currently waiting for the Protease Inhibitors clinical trial to be allowed here in the US by the FDA. It's currently in clinical trials in Germany and Canada.
With this revolutionary treatment, the virus is starved in three days! It's been very successful in lab mice, and the best part is that it hardly has any side effects at all. C'mon FDA!
Magnum
Sam-E has helped a lot and he highly recommends being on it. Pricey but effective. Sav-On currently has a 2 for 1 Sam-E by Naturemade. Get the 30 pack double strength, then you only need to take one tab a day. The standard requires 2 tabs a day. Better hurry, sale ends Saturday!
As some of you may know, I'm 1A and I've been through three failed treatments and am currently waiting for the Protease Inhibitors clinical trial to be allowed here in the US by the FDA. It's currently in clinical trials in Germany and Canada.
With this revolutionary treatment, the virus is starved in three days! It's been very successful in lab mice, and the best part is that it hardly has any side effects at all. C'mon FDA!
Magnum
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