The hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes inflammation of the liver.
Synonyms
Hepatitis C virus
Detailed description
The RNA virus infects human liver cells. Due to its high mutation rate, a lot of genetic variations exist. The WHO estimates that one percent of the world population is chronically infected with HCV. Transmission is mainly via contaminated blood and can happen in hospitals or through drug use. HCV infection can lead to liver cell carcinoma.
It all began 20 years ago with Pekin duck breeding in Kirchheim near Heidelberg. At the time, duck was the model of choice for hepatitis B research, which Stephan Urban also used to discover a peptide
The hepatitis C research success story is also his story: Ralf Bartenschlager, a virologist at the Heidelberg Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University, has been researching the hepatitis C virus for
