Patent ID: 8580759

Claim:
A method for preventing hepatitis C viral infection or suppressing hepatitis C virus growth, the method comprising the step of administering a pharmaceutical composition comprising an effective amount of a compound that inhibits the PA28γ-induced activation of the trypsin-like activity of 20S proteasome to an animal in need thereof, wherein the compound is one or more of: (a) a siRNA or a shRNA having binding specificity for at least one polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of the polynucleotide sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:4 and the polynucleotide sequence from positions 162 to 180 of SEQ ID NO:5; (b) a modified siRNA or a modified shRNA that is a modification of the siRNA or the shRNA of (a); and (c) an expression vector capable of expressing the siRNA or the shRNA of (a) or the modified siRNA or the modified shRNA of (b).