Targeting microRNA-122: walking on cutting edge of hepatitis C virus infection therapy

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, with an estimated 170 million carriers worldwide, remains a major cause of chronic liver disease. Current anti-HCV treatments have significant side effects and have met with only partial success. Therefore, a more effective therapeutic modality for HCV infection is needed. The stability and propagation of HCV is dependent on the interaction between its genome and a highly abundant liver microRNA (miRNA), known as microRNA-122 (miR-122). As a conserved host factor that would not be expected to evolve resistance mutations, miR-122 makes an attractive antiviral target. In this review we will discuss how targeting miR-122, using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), can be a new anti-HCV treatment.