Hepatitis C viral RNA: challenges and promises

Hepatitis C virus (HCV), a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus of the Flaviviridae family, is a major cause of chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. Its RNA is difficult to study because biological materials are scarce and RNA replication is of low efficiency. This review focuses on the structure and functions of HCV RNA along with their biological and clinical significance. Despite the challenging characteristics of HCV, significant progress has been made in understanding the properties of HCV RNA and developing viral replication systems toward the improvement of antiviral therapies.