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Advances in molecular biology made possible the discovery of the virus that causes hepatitis C. However,little is known about the fundamental aspects of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication, primarily because arobust cell culture has not been established. As a result, the currently available drugs for the treatment ofhepatitis C are not specifically directed against HCV. Based on what is known about the molecular biology ofHCV, however, drugs can now be developed against specific viral and cellular targets. The next generationof drugs for the treatment of hepatitis C will likely be directed against non-structural HCV proteins withknown enzymatic activities, such as the proteases, RNA helicase and RNA polymerase. Others agentstargeted against the viral RNA, core protein that assembles into the virion capsid and putative cellular“receptors” that bind HCV envelope proteins are also being developed. These drugs should have fewer sideeffects than those currently available and be much more effective for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C.
