Revealing hepatitis B virus infection and developing antiviral drugs

Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver that is caused by a virus spread through blood and bodily fluids. While many people with hepatitis B will never experience any symptoms and will fight off the virus without ever realising they had it, this is largely dependent on the conditions of infected person and may even result in serious liver damage. Despite many advances in the treatment of hepatitis B and the development of a vaccine, there is still no specific treatment for curing hepatitis B. A 2017 World Health Organization (WHO) report estimated that nearly 260 million people are currently living with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Although much work has been done to treat and prevent HBV, it is clear that there is still more to be done if we want to control viral hepatitis by 2030, which WHO is aiming for. It is with this in mind that a team of researchers based at National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Tokyo, Japan is currently studying the hepatitis B, C and D viruses (HBV, HCV and HDV), with particular attention paid to how these viruses are able to infect and replicate in host cells.