The kinase-inhibitor sorafenib inhibits multiple steps of the Hepatitis C Virus infectious cycle in vitro

• Reduction of HCV infectivity with sorafenib treatment.
• Sorafenib targets multiple steps of the HCV infectious cycle.
• Sorafenib modifies Claudin-1 expression and localization.

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) chronic infection is a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma. Sorafenib is the only medical treatment that has been approved for the treatment of this cancer. It is a multikinase inhibitor with anti-tumor activity against a wide variety of cancers. Sorafenib blocks angiogenesis and tumor cell proliferation through inhibition of kinases, such as VEGFR2, PDGFR, or the serine/threonine kinases RAF. Previous studies have reported an anti-HCV effect of sorafenib in vitro, but various mechanisms of action have been described. The aim of this study was to clarify the action of sorafenib on the complete HCV infectious cycle. In order to examine the action of sorafenib on all steps of the HCV infectious cycle, we used a combination of validated cell culture models, based on the HuH-7 reference cell line and primary human hepatocytes. We found that sorafenib blocks HCV infection by altering the viral entry step and the production of viral particles. Moreover, we observed that treatment with sorafenib lead to a modification of Claudin-1 expression and localization, which could partly be responsible for the anti-HCV effect. Collectively, our findings confirm the anti-HCV effect of sorafenib in vitro, while highlighting the complexity of the action of sorafenib on the HCV infectious cycle.