Hepatitis monoclonal antibody therapy

Tilg, H., Jalan, R., Kaser, A., Davies, N. A., Offner, F. A., Hodges, S. J., Ludwiczek, O., Shawcross, D., Zoller, H., Alisa, A., Mookerjee, R. P., Graziadei, L, Datz, C., Trauner, M., Schuppan, D., Obrist, P., Vogel, W. and Williams, R. Anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha monoclonal antibody therapy in severe alcoholic hepatitis. J Hepatol 38 (2003) 419 25. 

Respiratory syncytial vims (RSV) is a major cause of mortality in yoimg infants and the elderly. The mechanism of action of ribavirin is not entirely clear although it is probable that it acts as an inhibitor of inosine dehydrogenase which is involved in the introduction of a carbonyl group into the inosine stmcture en route to the synthesis of gua-nosine triphosphate (GTP). GTP is required for viral RNA transcription. Ribavirin may also interfere with the action of the viral RNA polymerase. There is some debate over the effectiveness of ribavirin in treating RSV. It is also used in combination with interferon in the treatment of hepatitis C. RSV is also treated with monoclonal antibody therapy and this is discussed in the Chapter 26. 

Eisenstein, T. (ed.). 2003. Hepatitis B, the Virus, the Disease and the Vaccine. Kluwer. Grossbard, M. 1998. Monoclonal Antibody Based Therapy of Cancer. Dekker. 

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