Treatment of Hepatitis C Infections with Interferon: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

Interferons were first described in 1957, but it was not until 34 years after their discovery that sufficient quantities of it were available for treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections, Clinicians now have an excellent understanding of the basis for the effectiveness of interferon alpha (IFN-alpha) in the therapy of this disease. Treatment with IFN-alpha is more efficient when it complemented by the antiviral ribavirin and the IFN-alpha is conjugated with polyethylene glycol to form peginterferon. In the near future treatment of HCV with IFN-alpha may involve new anti-HCV agents that are currently under development.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA528824

Entities

People

  • Robert M. Friedman
  • Sara Contente

Organizations

  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Blood
  • Cells
  • Chemistry
  • Cirrhosis
  • Clinical Trials
  • Diseases And Disorders
  • Hepatitis
  • Infection
  • Interferon
  • Neoplasms
  • Proteins
  • Respiratory Tract Diseases
  • Virus Diseases
  • Viruses
  • Wound Infections

Fields of Study

  • Medicine

Readers

  • Systems Analysis and Design
  • Virology (or Medical Virology).