Retrospect and reflection: the past 30 years of research on hepatitis C prophylaxis and treatment

The research on prophylaxis and treatment of hepatitis C has been performed for more than 30 years,with outstanding achievements. The discovery and confirmation of hepatitis C virus( HCV) was a milestone for how humans discovered new life. Emphasis on HCV molecular biology,infection immunity,and pathogenesis is the basic rule for scientific research on infectious diseases. PEG-IFN combined with ribavirin as the standardized antiviral treatment has been a great success; this combination therapy achieves a sustained viral response more than 80% in Chinese people,which is a typical example for successful clinical application of cytokines. Direct-acting antiviral agent( DAA) or combined application has made it possible to cure all patients infected with hepatitis C,which is the most successful example for reference. Persistent viral infection and maintenance of immune homeostasis under certain conditions are the results of the interaction between the host and the virus,and the development of vaccines will be continued.