Resources Update: Hepatitis C Resource Center Blog (AJM)

Our December Resources Update brings you Hepatitis C Resource Center Blog by the American Journal of Medicine.

If you’re looking to brush up on your hepatitis C knowledge and be updated on progress made in the medical research around the virus, then this resource is for you.

The American Journal of Medicine (AJM) Description: “The “Green Journal” publishes original clinical research of interest to physicians in internal medicine, both in academia and community-based practice. The American Journal of Medicine is the official journal of the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine, a prestigious group comprised of chairs of departments of internal medicine at more than 125 medical schools across the country. Each issue carries useful reviews as well as seminal articles of immediate interest to the practicing physician, including peer-reviewed, original scientific studies that have direct clinical significance, and position papers on health care issues, medical education, and public policy. The journal’s ISI factor – the international measure of cited manuscripts and scientific impact – is fourteenth in the world among all general medical journals.  The Editor-in-Chief is Joseph Alpert, MD. ” –  About Our Hepatitis C Blog

Hepatitis C Blog Description: “The goal of this global hepatitis C blog is to encourage communication and break down communication barriers so clinicians and their supportive care teams can effectively confront the challenges associated with screening, diagnosing, treating, and managing increasing numbers of individuals with hepatitis C. This blog is supported by Elsevier Multimedia Publishing and the American Journal of Medicine (AJM), and serves as a companion to their comprehensive, online, global educational initiative, the AJM Hepatitis C Resource Center (hepcresource.amjmed.com).” –  About Our Hepatitis C Blog

AJM Hepatitis C Resource Center Description: “The AJM Hepatitis C Resource Center provides both primary care providers and specialists with continually updated treatment guidelines, and an up-to-date repository of informative, freely-available, full-text articles to encourage effective HCV screening and diagnosis, and to highlight the promise of novel treatment regimens.”  –  About Our Hepatitis C Blog

 

 

 

Let’s talk about viruses

One of the biggest debates in modern microbiology revolves around this question: are viruses living organisms? As you might think, this isn’t quite a black and white question. In order for something to be classified as a living organism, it needs to be able to replicate on its own.

Viruses however, are incapable of this – they need a host cell to replicate and ‘live.’ Once inside a cell, a virus can then perform the same functions living cells can – like producing proteins, replicating, and protecting itself form danger.

A viral life cycle contains five different distinct phases: exposure, entry, replication, shedding, and latency.

Generally, a viral infection occurs when a host (i.e. Human) is exposed to a virus. This can be through a physical breach (a cut in the skin), direct inoculation (unsafe needle injections) or direct infection of the surface (inhaling the virus into the lungs). Only after a virus enters the host, can it gain access to certain cells to infect.

Once a host has been exposed, the virus needs to enter the host’s cells; and when inside the cell, the virus hijacks the cell’s machinery to replicate. To get inside the cell, proteins on the viral surface connect with proteins on the cell surface which results in the creation of a pore. Using this pore, viruses enter the cell and begin making copies of itself.

Next, the virus takes control of the cell’s replication machinery and quickly begins making millions of copies of itself.

Once a virus has made enough copies and used up all of the resources inside a cell, shedding occurs. The cell is no longer useful for the virus, and so the cell dies and all the new viruses are released to now infect new cells.

Some special viruses, like HIV, have a latency period. During this time, the virus hides inside the cell and does not replicate in order to evade the host’s immune system. The virus waits, until the time is right to begin replication and start the infection.

As you can see, this question is a difficult one to answer. When you look at the viral life cycle, arguments can be made for both sides; but ultimately, regardless of whether viruses are classified as living or not, efforts should be placed on developing vaccines and treatments.