Hepatitis C Vaccine Trial 'Promising'

An early clinical trial of a hepatitis C vaccine has shown ‘promising’ results, according to British researchers at Oxford University.

Designing a vaccine for hepatitis C has been difficult as the virus changes its appearance, making it hard to find something to target. Writing in Science Translational Medicine, researchers say their trial on 41 patients shows it is possible to target.

Researchers attempted to target the inner workings of the virus, rather than the variable surface markings. One of the researchers, Prof Paul Klenerman, said: "That's where the engine of the virus is, where we may be able to successfully target many of the crucial pieces of machinery." Common cold viruses were modified with genetic material from the hepatitis C virus in order to prime the immune system to attack the hepatitis C virus.

The aim of the Phase I trial was to determine whether the treatment was safe and to help plan future trials. A total of 41 healthy patients were given the vaccine. Scientists said it produced a "very strong" immune response that lasted for at least a year and had no major side effects.

Prof Klenerman said: "The immune responses we've seen are exciting and we are beginning the next stage of trials. While we are hopeful, it could be a long road to any vaccine that protects people against hepatitis C." The next step will be to give the vaccine to people at-risk of hepatitis C infection to see whether it protects against the virus.