News
ICViewExpert PerspectivesMedical World NewsPathogen PlaybookVideosWebinars
Conference CoverageConference ListingAPIC Chapters
Infection Control TodaySupplements And Featured Publications
CME/CEEditorial Advisory BoardJob BoardPartnersSponsoredWhitepapers
Subscribe
Educator of the Year Official Rules2024 Educator of the Year Winner2023 Educator of the Year WinnerEducator of the Year
Advanced TechnologyAdvanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology
Bug of the Month
COVID-19
Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services
HAIs
Hand Hygiene
IC Trends
Long-Term CareLong-Term Care
Operating Room
Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment
Policy
PreventionPreventionPreventionPrevention
Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
Surface Disinfection
Vascular Access
Spotlight -
  • IC Trends
  • Bug of the Month
  • Featured Articles
  • Featured Columns
  • Pathogen Playbook
Advanced TechnologyAdvanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology
Bug of the Month
COVID-19
Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services
HAIs
Hand Hygiene
IC Trends
Long-Term CareLong-Term Care
Operating Room
Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment
Policy
PreventionPreventionPreventionPrevention
Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
Surface Disinfection
Vascular Access
    • News
    • Subscribe
Advertisement

Scientists Link Hepatitis C Virus Infection to Fat Enzyme in Liver Cells

October 11, 2010
Article

Scientists at the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology (GIVI) have found that an enzyme associated with the storage of fat in the liver is required for the infectious activity of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). This discovery may offer a new strategy for treating the infection.

More than 160 million people are infected throughout the world, and no vaccine is available to prevent further spread of the disease. Current treatments are not effective against the most common strains in the US and Europe. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, shows that the enzyme DGAT1 is a key factor in HCV infection. With several potential DGAT1 inhibitors already in the drug-development pipeline, a treatment for HCV may be possible in the near future.

"Our results reveal a potential 'Achilles heel' for HCV infection," says Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, senior author on the study. "Several DGAT1 inhibitors are already in early clinical trials to treat obesity-associated diseases. They might also work against HCV."

At first glance, the HCV lifecycle is fairly simple. The virus enters the cell. One large protein is produced and cut into several smaller viral enzymes and proteins that build the virus. The RNA genome is copied, and the new RNAs and structural proteins are used to make new virus particles that are released into the blood stream for to infect more cells. These processes were thought to occur at specialized membranes inside the cell. However, recently it has been shown that fat droplets are critically involved.

Fat droplets, which store fat in cells, have become a hot new topic in biology. DGAT1 is one of the enzymes that help to form fat droplets. The Gladstone team, led by Eva Herker, PhD, discovered that HCV infection and viral particle production are severely impaired in liver cells that lack DGAT1 activity.

"DGAT enzymes produce the fat that is stored in the droplets that are important for HCV replication, so we wondered if inhibiting those enzymes might disrupt the viral life cycle," says Herker. "We found that HCV specifically relies on one DGAT enzymes, DGAT1. When we inhibit DGAT1 with a drug, the liver still produces fat droplets through another DGAT enzyme but these droplets cannot be used by HCV."

The team sought to identify which step in the HCV lifecycle requires DGAT1. They found that DGAT1 interacts with one viral protein, the viral nucleocapsid core protein, required for viral particle assembly. The core protein normally associates with the surface of fat droplets but cannot do so when DGAT1 is inhibited or missing in infected cells.

Researchers at Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease had previously cloned DGAT1.

Charles Harris, Robert V. Farese, Jr. and Katrin Kaehlcke were part of the Gladstone team. Celine Hernadez, Arnaud Charpentier and Arielle Rosenberg supported the research from the Universite Paris Descartes.

This work was supported by funds from the Gladstone Institutes, the Hellman Family Foundation, the US National Institutes of Health and the UCSF Liver Center. Additional support was provided through fellowships from the Human Frontiers Science Program, the Agence nationale de recherches sur le sida et les hépatites virales, and a training grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Melanie Ott's primary affiliation is with the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology, where she is associate investigator and where her laboratory is located and her research is conducted. She is also an associate professor of medicine at UCSF.

Recent Videos
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Mark Wiencek, PhD
Rebecca Crapanzano-Sigafoos, DrPH, CIC, AL-CIP, FAPIC
The CDC’s updated hospital respiratory reporting requirement has added new layers of responsibility for infection preventionists. Karen Jones, MPH, RN, CIC, FAPIC, clinical program manager at Wolters Kluwer, breaks down what it means and how IPs can adapt.
Studying for the CIC using a digital tablet and computer (Adobe Stock 335828989 by NIKCOA)
Infection Control Today's Conversations with the HSPA President, Arlene Bush, CRCST, CER, CIS, SME, DSMD, CRMST
Infection Control Today's Conversations with the HSPA President, Arlene Bush, CRCST, CER, CIS, SME, DSMD, CRMST
Cheron Rojo, BS, FCS, CHL,  CER, CFER, CRCST
Matthias Tschoerner, Dr Sc
Standardizing Cleaning and Disinfection
Related Content

A Profession Without a Path, Part 2

Broadening the Path: Diverse Educational Routes Into Infection Prevention Careers

Shahbaz Salehi, MD, MPH, MSHIA;Anna Arifin, MD, MBA, MT, CIC
July 4th 2025
Article

Once dominated by nurses, infection prevention now welcomes professionals from public health, lab science, and respiratory therapy—each bringing unique expertise that strengthens patient safety and IPC programs.


Stretcher and HAIs  (Image courtesy of author through AI)

How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels

Donald Sipp, MBA, RESE, CHESP, CHTI-2, CMIP, PMP
July 3rd 2025
Article

Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.


Hot Topics With Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC

Hot Topics for IPC on July 2, 2025

Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC
July 2nd 2025
Article

This Hot Topics for IPC covers the latest on ASPR, AMR, vaccines, and a study on AMR and livestock manure from Michigan State University.


The Clean Bite

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Dental Professionals: A Layered Defense

Sherrie Busby, EDDA, CDSO, CDIPC
July 1st 2025
Article

Dental infection control expert Sherrie Busby tackles PPE missteps, from chin-bra masks to cropped lab coats, reminding dental teams that proper protection is crucial, not optional.


Rebecca Battjes, MPH, CIC, FAPIC; Vidya Nankoosingh, MLT, CIC; and Peter Teska, MBA

Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
June 30th 2025
Article

Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.


ACIP decides on vaccinations   (Adobe Stock 606491608 by N Lawrenson/peopleimages.com)

New ACIP Panel Backs Seasonal Flu, RSV Vaccinations, but Divisions Emerge Over Thimerosal and Infant Dosing

Richard Payerchin
June 27th 2025
Article

In its first major session under newly appointed leadership, the revamped Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to support flu and RSV vaccinations for the 2025–2026 season, but internal debate over vaccine preservatives, access equity, and risk assessment highlighted the ideological and scientific tensions now shaping federal vaccine policy.

Related Content

A Profession Without a Path, Part 2

Broadening the Path: Diverse Educational Routes Into Infection Prevention Careers

Shahbaz Salehi, MD, MPH, MSHIA;Anna Arifin, MD, MBA, MT, CIC
July 4th 2025
Article

Once dominated by nurses, infection prevention now welcomes professionals from public health, lab science, and respiratory therapy—each bringing unique expertise that strengthens patient safety and IPC programs.


Stretcher and HAIs  (Image courtesy of author through AI)

How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels

Donald Sipp, MBA, RESE, CHESP, CHTI-2, CMIP, PMP
July 3rd 2025
Article

Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.


Hot Topics With Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC

Hot Topics for IPC on July 2, 2025

Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC
July 2nd 2025
Article

This Hot Topics for IPC covers the latest on ASPR, AMR, vaccines, and a study on AMR and livestock manure from Michigan State University.


The Clean Bite

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for Dental Professionals: A Layered Defense

Sherrie Busby, EDDA, CDSO, CDIPC
July 1st 2025
Article

Dental infection control expert Sherrie Busby tackles PPE missteps, from chin-bra masks to cropped lab coats, reminding dental teams that proper protection is crucial, not optional.


Rebecca Battjes, MPH, CIC, FAPIC; Vidya Nankoosingh, MLT, CIC; and Peter Teska, MBA

Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
June 30th 2025
Article

Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.


ACIP decides on vaccinations   (Adobe Stock 606491608 by N Lawrenson/peopleimages.com)

New ACIP Panel Backs Seasonal Flu, RSV Vaccinations, but Divisions Emerge Over Thimerosal and Infant Dosing

Richard Payerchin
June 27th 2025
Article

In its first major session under newly appointed leadership, the revamped Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to support flu and RSV vaccinations for the 2025–2026 season, but internal debate over vaccine preservatives, access equity, and risk assessment highlighted the ideological and scientific tensions now shaping federal vaccine policy.

Advertise
About Us
Editorial Board
Contact Us
Job Board
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Contact Info

2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512

609-716-7777

© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.
Home
About Us
News