9 December 2024
Targeting cccDNA in Human Hepatocytes: Pathway to a Cure for HBV?
Globally, around 250 million people are infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and more than 1 million more are estimated to become infected yearly. Researching the HBV viral life cycle and identifying potential novel therapeutics is challenging as only human and chimpanzee hepatocytes are permissive to HBV. However, due to the cost and ethical restrictions, alternative models are being explored. In vivo, rodent models including humanized liver chimeric mice (for example PXB-mice) and the AAV-HBV mouse model are being utilized. While these models are useful, each has their own pitfalls.
