E1 E2

E1 (Envelope Protein 1), a transmembrane protein of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), is central to virus entry into host cells and works with glycoprotein E2 (Envelope Protein 2) to form a heterodimer complex. 

This complex facilitates receptor binding and subsequent virus entry. The increasing understanding of HCV structural dynamics and the E1E2 complex has revived the search for effective antiviral drugs and vaccines. Our study synthesizes findings from the existing literature on mAbs and integrates them with molecular modelling results to explain the binding interactions between these antibodies and the E1E2 protein. 

This study aims to improve the current understanding of the binding efficiency of mAbs, pave the way for the development of more effective monoclonal antibodies, and lay the groundwork for a prophylactic vaccine against HCV (Torrents de la Peña et al., 2022). 

Here, E1 protein is highlighted in Pink, and the rest of the protein is E2. Here we can see the E1-E2 dimer.