GBV-B: A SMALL PRIMATE MODEL FOR HEPATITIS C INFECTION

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 丙型肝炎病毒感染影响全球约2%的人口。这种病毒有很高的诱发持续性感染的倾向，随着时间的推移，这种感染会发展为严重的肝病，包括肝硬变和肝癌。由于缺乏小动物模型和组织培养系统，对丙型肝炎病毒的研究一直受到阻碍。GBV-B是与丙型肝炎病毒亲缘关系最密切的病毒，它能引起罗望子碱引起的肝炎。我们已经建立了GBV-B动物模型，作为丙型肝炎病毒的替代小灵长类动物模型。我们最近已经证明，普通的绒猴对GBV-B感染同样是允许的，现在是首选的动物模型。此外，我们还利用罗望子素或绒猴的原代肝细胞培养为GBV-B开发了一个强大的组织培养系统。在这项提案中，我们将更全面地开发GBV-B的动物和培养模型，并测试与丙型肝炎相关的特定假说。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Hepatitis C virus infections affect approximately 2% of the worldwide population. The virus has a high propensity for inducing persistent infection that over time progress to serious liver disease including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Research on HCV has been impeded by the lack of a small animal model and a tissue culture system. GBV-B is the virus phylogenetically most closely related to HCV and it causes hepatitis in tamarins. We have developed the GBV-B animal model as a surrogate small primate model for HCV. We have recently demonstrated that the common marmoset is equally permissive for GBV-B infections and is now the preferred animal model. In addition, we have developed a robust tissue culture system for GBV-B utilizing primary hepatocyte cultures from tamarins or marmosets. In this proposal, we will more fully develop the animal and culture models for GBV-B and test specific hypotheses relevant to HCV disease.