In vitro evaluation of caffeine effect on Hepatitis C Virus inhibition

• Grant number: 12/19074-1
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): February 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): July 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Paula Rahal
• Grantee: Mariana Nogueira Batista
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil

Abstract

Hepatitis C is liver infection induced by hepatitis C virus (HCV), which displays tropism by hepatocytes and due does not generate on host an adequate immune response leads, in most cases, a chronic frame that can evolve to liver complications like liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The infection reach about 170 million people worldwide a, despite all efforts to combat the virus, isn't a definitive treatment. The use natural therapies and phytochemicals has proven protective effects against several types of viruses and is an alternative to new antiviral drugs against hepatitis C virus. Caffeine is a phytochemical that shows an hepatoprotective effect, decreasing the development of hepatocellular cancer, liver cirrhosis and fibrosis described on literature, with results particularly significant to patients with hepatitis C. Preliminary results evaluated on Laboratory of Genomics Studies showed around 80% of reduction subgenomic replicon of HCV replication (SGR-JFH1) in vitro when subject to caffeine treatment, however is necessary to confirm these results to complete virus. Thereby, this project came propose the evaluation of caffeine effects on complete virus replication, evaluating replication events, entry and exit of virus from host cell, as well as establish the efficiency of drug.