Viperin, a member of the radical S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) superfamily of enzymes, is an interferon-inducible protein implicated in the inhibition of replication of a broad range of RNA and DNA viruses, including dengue virus, West Nile virus, hepatitis C virus, influenza A virus, rabies virus <sup>2</sup> and HIV<sup>3,4</sup>.
In summary, these findings suggest a novel mechanism by which viperin inhibits HCV replication, possibly through binding to host protein hVAP-33 and interfering with its interaction with NS5A.
Transient expression of viperin in cells harboring the HCV genomic replicon resulted in a significant decrease in HCV replication, suggesting that viperin has anti-HCV activity.