Around 3.2 million Americans have chronic Hepatitis C, making it the most common long-term bloodborne illness in the US. But could a vaccine for the disease be in sight? Researchers reveal how a vaccine has shown promise against hepatitis C infection a phase 1 clinical trial.

Share on Pinterest Researchers say a new vaccine – developed to initiate and boost the body’s immune response to hepatitis C infection – has shown promise in a phase 1 clinical trial.

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is transmitted through contact with the blood of an infected individual, most commonly by sharing needles, syringes or other drug-injecting equipment, or through needle injuries in health care settings.

Being born to a mother with HCV can also cause infection. In rare cases, the virus can be spread through sexual contact.

Around 75-85% of people with HCV will develop chronic hepatitis C infection. Of these, around 60-70% will develop chronic liver disease, and 5-20% will develop liver cirrhosis over a period of 20-30 years. Around 1-5% of people with chronic hepatitis C die from liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

Although the majority of people with HCV go on to develop chronic infection, the research team – including Prof. Ellie Barnes of the Nuffield Department of Medicine at Oxford University in the UK – notes that 1 in 4 people clear the virus from their body naturally on first infection. This indicates that the body is able to produce an immune response to ward off the virus.

In their study, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the researchers reveal how they developed a two-tier vaccine approach that triggers and enhances an immune response to HCV, protecting against infection.