Role of FXR in Hepatitis C Virus Replication

In vitro in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicon system, modulation of the biliary salts nuclear receptor FXR by either agonists or antagonists respectively increases or decreases the replication of HCV (J Hepatol, 2008, 48: 192-9). One antagonist of FXR is a vegetal sterol, guggulsterone, that is extracted from the Commiphora mukul tree and that has already been given safely to hyper cholesterolemic patients in a clinical trial (JAMA 2003, 290: 765-72). The aim of this trial is to test the effect of the FXR antagonist guggulsterone given orally, three times a day, on the viral load in 15 HCV genotype 1 chronically infected patients.