Hypervariable region 1 shielding of hepatitis C virus is a main contributor to genotypic differences in neutralization sensitivity

Abstract

HVR1 adds complexity to HCV neutralization by shielding a diverse array of unexpectedly cross-genotype-conserved E1/E2 epitopes. Thus, an HVR1-deleted antigen could be a better HCV vaccine immunogen. (Hepatology 2016;64:1881-1892).