GB Virus C; Discussing the Possibility of Using GB Virus-C (GBV-C) as a Vaccine Against HIV and Reawakening the Scientific Community About GBV-C

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV ) is one of the pathogenic viruses that enter the human body and replicate in T-cells, leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome ( AIDS). On the other hand, GB-virus C (GBV-C) is a virus that enters the human body without known pathogenic effects on the human body. It is mostly related to the Flaviviridae family, especially hepatitis C (HCV).To our knowledge, studies show that this virus is not associated with any disease. The viral composition differs from most known RNA viruses as it encodes a single polyprotein. The virus could be transmitted through blood and sexual contact. The GBV-C includes three different strains: GBV-C, Hepatitis G virus (HGV), and non-studied one. HGV strain has been detected in patients with liver cirrhosis. However, there is no evidence that it causes liver disease. GBV-C reduces immunity activation in HIV-infected patients. It has been found that it has a marked effect on the target cell receptors for HIV indicating that it could be studied to design a vaccine against HIV. However, there is a lack of information and studies concerning the virus. Many challenges are faced when developing a vaccine based on a virus. These challenges include safety and efficacy, mechanism of action for GBV-C, immunogenicity, variability in HIV Strains, ethical and regulatory issues, production and delivery, long-term outcomes, and public perception and acceptance. However, bioinformatics techniques can play a crucial role in overcoming these challenges by several methods that are: comparative genomics, epitope mapping, structural bioinformatics, and vaccine design and optimization.