My understanding of riba is that it's more about *causing* mutation than preventing it. DNA lifeforms (people) have Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine, and Thymine as their basic 'building blocks'. RNA lifeforms (HCV) have the first three - A,G,C - but Uracil replaces the Thymine. Riba causes mutation in RNA lifeforms, not so much in us DNA types. (The "not so much" is because we do use messenger RNA - mRNA - and transfer RNA - tRNA - for some things like reproduction. Hence all the 'don't get pregnant during or up to six months after tx' warnings.) HCV needs to maintain a certain level of genetic consistency otherwise it becomes more vulnerable to interferon. One of the things that Richard Sallie adresses in his his Replicative Homeostasis papers is the question of how genotype can remain the stable when, theoretically, an RNA virus should mutate quickly beyond recognition.
I'm sure I messed some of that explanation up but, hey, I was out catching hep when I should of been in class learning this stuff. Besides, there's always someone here who'll be happy to correct me.
I may be wrong, but I thought INF kills the cells that are infected. It cannot kill the virus itself, but kills the infected cell "factories" that the virus needs to replicate.
Riba also attacks those factories, and seems to "mark" them, so it is easier for the INF to locate and eliminate them from the body.
New treatments in the future may go after the virus directly, like some of the HIV drugs do. That's my knowledge, in my simple terms that is good enough for me (as am no doctor or bioligist).
IFN Kills HCV and gets you to UND
Riba prevents relapse.
CS
Thanks, read thru that and a few others , interferon, etc. Have read MANY, just still want 'laymans' terms :)
...I know Peg kill's it, Riba follows up with preventing mutation, etc.right?.....
Like is that 'summation' about right?
Before starting tx, I didn't read 'too much' as didn't want the fears of the many warnings, etc. in my head! Knew I HAD to do them so didn't put more worries in the mix.
Now that I am about done....reading more,lol.
Thanks, LL
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribavirin