Using a standardized silymarin extract (MK-001), Polyak et al. demonstrated that MK-001 not only inhibited the genotype 2a HCV strain JFH-1 infection in both the pretreatment and post-infection analysis, but also blocked TNF-α and NFκB transcriptional activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and hepatoma Huh-7 cells, respectively, suggesting that the extract possesses both antiviral and anti-inflammatory bioactivities [8]. This evidence concerns the gene TNF and infection.