Investigating the Impact of ADAR1 on HCV Replication

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a Flaviviridae family member with a +RNA genome, remains a global health challenge despite the effectiveness of new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). A preventive vaccine is still lacking. This report explores the interplay between HCV and adenosine deaminase acting on double-stranded RNA 1 (ADAR1), an innate immunity enzyme. ADAR1 catalyzes adenosine-to-inosine conversion, influencing dsRNA stability and the nucleotide sequence. To investigate ADAR1's impact on HCV replication, we established an ADAR1 knockout cell line from Huh7.5 hepatocellular carcinoma cells. We will present the initial findings from HCV replication experiments in this KO cell line.