HCV research UK: a UK national resource to support research into HCV infection

Introduction Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been identified by the MRC and Department of Health MRC as a priority area for research and development to meet the clinical challenges posed by the scale of the infection in the UK. There has been a perceived lack of connection between clinicians and basic scientists working on HCV in the UK to address this problem. Aims: To create a multi-disciplinary consortium comprising clinicians and non-clinical scientists to encourage translational research. To establish a cohort of 10?000 patients with HCV infection across the UK, together with clinical database and biorepository—“HCV Research UK”. To make this resource available to researchers, both academic/commercial, UK-based and abroad.