HCV difference in life cycle?

[Andiamo1]

Does anyone know why it is possible to cure HCV, but not HIV?  It was explained to me as a difference in the virus life cycle, but the explanation given me had some misconceptions that I would like to clarify.

[zazza]

LOL

Think I found the answer. Better keep it to myself then.

[zazza]

Oh, what the h... Here is a clue for those interested:

"Hepatitis B is one of a few known non-retroviral viruses which use reverse transcription as a part of its replication process."

[zazza]

Oops.
Source: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatitis_B

[Andiamo1]

Thanks for  the input.  I still don't see how the protease inhibitors and SOC  can eliminate HCV but not HIV or HBV.  I understand what you are saying, but not fully the mechanism by which HCV can be blocked from reproducing.

I assume there is something in the HCV life cycle that makes it vulnerable while the other two can find a mechanism that  allows it to escape the drugs.  HIV is significantly impacted by PIs but somehow finds a way to protect enough virions to keep going and survive long enough to mutate.  Anyway, luckily for us this is an academic issue in our case.

[zazza]

As I see it the important thing is not that HCV is blocked from reproduction, it is that unlike most viruses HCV is sensitive to an interferon enhanced immune system. The PIs, which block the virus reproduction, can not do the job alone. They only speed up the process, so that the interferon will succeed in its job.

The way I understand viruses is that there is no cure by directly attacking the virus. Our immune system has to do the job. We can make the environment, ie our body, an unpleasant place for the virus, thereby helping the immune system in its effort to kill off the virus, and hopefully the virus will expire. Unfortunately, interferon and ribavirin do not only make the environment unpleasant for the hep C virus, but for us as well. Luckily, we are hardier than the hep C virus.

Also when the virus as with HIV and hep B has become a part of the DNA in the infected cells, I figure each infected cell must die for us to get rid of the disease. Apparently though, a small minority of chronic hep B patients are cured by interferon therapy.

Maybe the fact that HCV does not integrate into the cell DNA is the explanation why interferon works. Because of this HCV might be easier for the interferon enhanced immune system to kill.

Just my 2 cents.

[zazza]

Can one not compare the effect of the PIs as making "everybody's" baseline viral load low and making "everybody" a rapid/quicker responder? No slow responders anymore.