The research is preliminary, however, and physicians don t know yet whether these combinations are effective, Dr. Dieterich said. ALT is an enzyme released by infected livers. Another area of potentially fruitful research involves the combination of cytokines with vaccines. However, it does not seem to kill the virus. Future Antiviral Therapies Protease inhibitors.
Proteases are enzymes necessary for viral replication.
Scientists are also experimenting with antisense compounds, short sequences of RNA and DNA strands that stick to viral RNA or DNA and keep the virus from replicating. M.D. Dr. Dieterich is a clinical associate professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine and associate attending physician at New York University Tisch Hospital. He received his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. He performed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Bellevue Hospital Center and is a Fellow of the Division of Gastroenterology with the Department of Internal Medicine at Bellevue Hospital Center. Dr. Dieterich is the author of 40 research articles and four medical textbook chapters.