Cell culture system for genotype1b hepatitis C virus

丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染引起慢性肝病，是一个世界性的健康问题。尽管对病毒复制和致病机理的了解需求不断增加，但由于缺乏有效的病毒培养系统，对病毒生命周期的详细分析受到阻碍。本研究的目的是建立基因型1b的HCV培养系统，因为基因型1b感染是最普遍的，并且对干扰素治疗具有耐药性。我们分离了一个新的基因型1b HCV克隆，并构建了病毒基因组全长cDNA。通过引入适应性突变体，我们可以观察病毒复制和感染性病毒颗粒的形成和分泌。我们还使用基因型1b和2a构建了嵌合病毒。利用这种嵌合病毒构建体，我们分析了抗病毒敏感性概况。因此，基因型1b HCV培养系统对于抗病毒药物的开发和HCV耐药谱的分析是有用的和重要的。

Hepatitis C virus(HCV) infection causes chronic liver diseases and is a worldwide health problem. Despite the increasing demand for the knowledge of viral replication and pathogenesis, detail analysis of viral life cycle has been hampered by the lack of efficient viral culture system. In this study, we aimed to establish genotype1b HCV culture system since genotype1b infection is most prevalent and resistant for interferon therapy. We isolate a new genotype1b HCV clone and constructed full-length cDNA of viral genome. By introduction of adaptive mutants, we could observe viral replication and infectious virus particle formation and secretion. We also constructed chimeric virus using genotype 1b and 2a. With this chimeric virus constructs, we analyzed the anti-viral sensitivity profiles. In conclusion, genotype1b HCV culture system is useful and important for anti-viral development and analysis of drug resistant profile of HCV.