COLLOQUIUM

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS

OAKLAND UNIVERSITY

ROCHESTER, MICHIGAN  48309

Libin Rong

Oakland University

Model Hepatitis C Virus Drug Resistance

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains an important health problem worldwide. The current standard therapy leads to sustained viral elimination in only about 50% of the treated patients. New direct acting antiviral agents are in clinical trials. In a recent study, when HCV genotype 1a infected persons were given monotherapy with telaprevir, a potent HCV protease inhibitor, over 5% of virus isolated after a couple days of therapy exhibited drug resistance. Further, drug resistant virus grew so as to dominate the population during the 14 day trial. Before therapy patients were chronically-infected with HCV and had high viral loads. Thus, one could assume that most cells susceptible to infection were already infected. This then gives rise to the question of where does newly arising drug resistant variants grow so that they can appear rapidly and at high levels. I will discuss the possible replication spaces available to the virus and present a model consistent with the available data on the kinetics of resistant virus growth. I will also discuss the treatment implications for hepatitis C.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

2:30 – 3:30 P.M.

372 Science and Engineering Building

(Refreshments at 2:00-2:30 PM in the kitchen area adjacent to 368 SEB)