Outline of the isolation of genome-length HCV RNA-replicating cells possessing RBV-resistant phenotype.

<p>OL8 or OL8(3.5Y) cells were cultured in the presence of 100 μM RBV for 5 to 10 weeks. The obtained RBV-survived colonies were named OL8(3.5Y)R. The mixed OL8(3.5Y)R cells were further treated with RBV increasingly, step by step, at final concentrations of 100, 150, and 200 μM, resulting in 12 independent RBV-survived colonies (named R200#1 to R200#12). Three colonies, R200#1, R200#8, and R200#11, were further analyzed as representative RBV-resistant cell lines.