HCV-1 produces a novel protein, known as ARFP, F, or core 1. This protein is encoded by an open reading frame (ORF) that overlaps the core gene in the 1 frame (core 1 ORF). In vitro this protein is produced by a ribosomal frameshift mechanism. However, similar studies failed to detect the ARFP/F/core 1 protein in the HCV-1a (H) isolate. To clarify this issue and to elucidate the functions of th...

background: hepatitis c (hcv) is a worldwide problem without an effective vaccine with more than 170 million chronically infected people worldwide. dna vaccines expressing antigenic portions of the virus with adjutants have recently been developed as a novel vaccination technology. objectives: in the present study, a dna vaccine expressing hcv core protein was developed with il12 as a genetic a...