Inhibition of HBV replication by RIG-I stimulation with 5`-triphosphated siRNA in vitro and in vivo [Elektronische Ressource] / vorgelegt von Gregor Ebert

Inhibition of HBV replication by RIG-I stimulation with 5`-triphosphated siRNA in vitro and in vivo  Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Universität zu Köln                                                                                                                      vorgelegt von Gregor Ebert aus Buchen Köln, September 2009 Berichterstatter: Prof. Dr. Thomas Langer Prof. Dr. Martin Krönke Prüfungsvorsitzender: Prof. Dr. Ansgar Büschges Tag der Disputation: 27. Oktober 2009 Abstract For a proportion of patients, HBV infection results in chronic disease with severe consequences like liver cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Approved therapies of chronic hepatitis B include administration of antivirally active IFN-α and inhibitors of viral reverse transcription. These drugs control replication, but HBV cccDNA, the episomal transcription template, persists in most cases. Hence, lifelong therapy is required, accompanied by severe side effects and development of drug resistant mutants.