Antiviral activity of interferon‐stimulated gene 20, as a putative repressor binding to hepatitis B virus enhancer II and core promoter

Background and Aim Interferon‐stimulated gene 20 (ISG20) is an interferon‐inducible exonuclease that inhibits the replication of several RNA viruses. In patients with chronic hepatitis B, ISG20 expression is related to the interferon‐α treatment response. However, the molecular mechanism of ISG20‐mediated anti‐hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity is unclear. Methods We have investigated the effect of ISG20 on antiviral activity to address that. The...