ABSTRACT
Ebola virus is a highly virulent pathogen which can cause severe viral hemorrhagic fever in humans and non-human primates, with the case fatality rates being as high as 90%. Currently, there is neither a specific treatment nor a vaccine licensed for use in humans. The challenge brought by the Ebola epidemic has promoted the following research focuses: specific and sensitive detection techniques, safe and effective vaccines and drugs. Here, we summarized the epidemiology, biology and pathogenesis of ebola virus, as well as the recent advances in diagnosis and vaccines for prevention of Ebola hemorrhagic fever.
ABSTRACT
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) cell entry is a multi step process mediated by various receptors. Among these receptors, the scavenger receptor class B type I (SR-BI) is the one considered to be the first to interact with HCV. SR-B I can bind to HCV envelope glycoprotein E2, in which the hyper variable region 1 (HVR1) segment locating at the N-terminus of E2 protein plays a critical role. The interaction of SR-BI with HCV can not only mediate HCV cell entry, but also attenuate neutralization activity of antibodies against E2 protein, contributing to the HCV immune evasion. Therefore, studying the mechanism of HCV/SR-B I interaction during cell entry can help to identify important targets in the initial step of viral infection, contributing to prevention and treatment of HCV infection. This paper reviews the current knowledge on the biological characteristics of SR-B I and mechanisms of HCV cell entry mediated by virus/SR-B I interaction.