Gene discovered to block hepatitis B, C and D

A study published in The Journal of Infectious Disease has revealed that the TM6SF2 gene plays a role in reducing the particle size of viral agents that target the liver, namely hepatitis B, C and D, responsible for chronic viral hepatitis. The research, conducted by scientists at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) in Australia, demonstrated that the reduction of viral particles of all three distinct hepatitis types was significantly enhanced by the knockdown of the aforementioned gene. As indicated by the study’s lead author, Professor Mark Douglas, this finding is highly promising in view of the potential for developing a drug capable of simultaneously targeting the three viruses, which could improve the lives of millions of people worldwide living with chronic viral hepatitis – one of the most prevalent infectious diseases globally, with an estimated 350 million cases annually and over one million fatalities.