Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds that are inhibitors of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Compounds of this invention are useful alone or in combination with other agents for treating, ameliorating, preventing or curing HBV infection and related conditions. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds that are inhibitors of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Compounds of this invention are useful alone or in combination with other agents for treating, ameliorating, preventing or curing HBV infection and related conditions. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds that are inhibitors of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Compounds of this invention are useful alone or in combination with other agents for treating, ameliorating, preventing or curing HBV infection and related conditions. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds that are inhibitors of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Compounds of this invention are useful alone or in combination with other agents for treating, ameliorating, preventing or curing HBV infection and related conditions. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds that are inhibitors of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Compounds of this invention are useful alone or in combination with other agents for treating, ameliorating, preventing or curing HBV infection and related conditions. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds that are inhibitors of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Compounds of this invention are useful alone or in combination with other agents for treating, ameliorating, preventing or curing HBV infection and related conditions. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing said compounds.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for monitoring the immune system of an individual, which comprises measuring, preferably by quantitative RT-PCR, the expression level of at least one microRNA (miRNA) gene product in a peripheral blood sample or in a biological fluid sample, and comparing said measured expression level with a reference level. In particular, the at least one miRNA gene product, which the method of the invention measures, is expressed by lymphocyte populations of an individual, in particular by naive CD4+T, TH1, TH2 and TH17 lymphocytes. The method of the invention is useful for the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, control and/or the treatment of a pathological condition caused by or associated with an immune system dysfunction. Moreover, the method of the present invention is useful for monitoring, in an individual, the evolution of conditions mediated by the immune system, such as the response to a vaccination.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing or prognosticating hepatocellular carcinoma, also in the early stages, or for assessing the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma, or for monitoring the effectiveness of an anti-tumour therapy against hepatocellular carcinoma by measuring the expression level of at least one miRNA gene product in a peripheral blood sample or in a biological fluid sample. Said method comprises measuring, in an isolated sample of peripheral blood or biological fluid, the expression level of at least one miRNA gene product, and comparing said measured expression level with a reference level. Such method can also be used to diagnose or assess the risk of developing liver cirrhosis in patients affected by chronic hepatitis, or to prognosticate the evolution of cirrhosis in patients affected by cirrhosis, or to monitor the effectiveness of a pharmacological therapy against liver cirrhosis.

Abstract: The present invention features nucleic acid containing one or more adaptive mutations, and HCV replicon enhanced cells. Adaptive mutations are mutations that enhance HCV replicon activity. HCV replicon enhanced cells are cells having an increased ability to maintain an HCV replicon.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the molecular biology and virology of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). An object of the present invention is a method to reproduce in vitro the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity of HCV that makes use of sequences contained in the HCV NS5B protein.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the use of certain 2,4,5-trisubstituted imidazole derivatives in modulating the replication of Hepatitis C virus RNA and/or virus production in cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an orthogonal gene switch for regulating the expression of a desired gene. The gene switch comprises a chimeric transcription factor that does not respond to endogenous ligands, and a ligand that is capable of activating the chimeric transcription factor but not endogenous transcription factors. The present invention also relates to the method of constructing the orthogonal gene switch.

Abstract: The present invention features nucleic acid containing one or more adaptive mutations, and HCV replicon enhanced cells. Adaptive mutations are mutations that enhance HCV replicon activity. HCV replicon enhanced cells are cells having an increased ability to maintain an HCV replicon.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the molecular biology and virology of the hepatitis C virus (HCV). An object of the present invention is a method to reproduce in vitro the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity of HCV that makes use of sequences contained in the HCV NS5B protein.

Abstract: This is a method for reproducing in vitro the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity associated with hepatitis C virus. The method is characterized in that sequences contained in NS5B are used in the reaction mixture. The terminal nucleotidyl transferase activity, a further property of the NS5B protein, can also be reproduced using this method. The method takes advantage of the fact that the NS5B protein, either purified to apparent homogeneity or present in extracts of overproducing organisms, can catalyze the addition of ribonucleotides to the 3′-termini of exogenous or endogenous RNA molecules. The invention also relates to a composition of matter that comprises sequences contained in NS5B, and to the use of these compositions for the set up of an enzymatic test capable of selecting, for therapeutic purposes, compounds that inhibit the enzymatic activity associated with NS5B.

Abstract: The process according to the present invention allows expression and isolation of polypeptides with the proteolytic activity of HCV NS3 protease in a pure, catalytically active form, and in amounts that are sufficient for discovery of NS3 protease inhibitors and for determination of the three-dimensional structure of the NS3 protease. A further subject of the present invention is a procedure that defines the chemical and physical conditions necessary for completion of the proteolytic activity of the above polypeptides. The invention further comprises new compositions of matter (expression vectors) containing nucleotide sequences capable of expressing the above mentioned polypeptides in culture cells. Finally, new compounds of matter are defined, suitable to measure the above proteolytic activity, and useful to develop NS3 protease inhibitors and therefore therapeutic agents for use against HCV. The figure shows the kinetic parameters of HCV NS3 protease using the S3 depsipeptide substrate (SEQ ID NO:45).

Abstract: This is a method for reproducing in vitro the serine protease activity associated with the HCV NS3 protein, that comprises using both of the sequences contained in NS3 and the sequences contained in NS4A. This method takes advantage of the ability of the HCV NS4A protein, or sequences contained therein, to act as a cofactor of the serine protease activity or more generally of the enzymatic activities associated with NS3. Optimal serine protease activity is obtained when NS4A is present in a molar ratio of at least 1:1 with NS3. NS3 and NS4A can also be incorporated in the reaction mixture as NS3-NS4A precursor, as this precursor will generate, by means of an autoproteolytic event, equimolar amounts of NS3 and NS4A. It is also possible to mutate the cleavage site between NS3 and NS4A in a procursor, so that NS4A remains covalently The sequences that do not influence the proteolytic activity of NS3 can subsequently be removed from protease activity.