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Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle
Published on: February 1, 2017
Surrogate Markers for Hepatitis B Virus Covalently Closed Circular DNA
Thomas Tu1,2, Florian van Bömmel3, Thomas Berg3
1Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Clinical School and Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Abstract:
Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the most common causes of liver disease worldwide. Chronic HBV infection is currently incurable because of the persistence of the viral template for the viral transcripts, covalently closed circular deoxyribonucleic acid (cccDNA). Detecting changes in cccDNA transcriptional activity is key to understanding fundamental virology, determining the efficacy of new therapies, and deciding the optimal clinical management of HBV patients. In this review, we summarize surrogate circulating biomarkers that have been used to infer cccDNA levels and activity in people with chronic hepatitis B. Moreover, we outline the current shortcomings of the current biomarkers and highlight the clinical importance in improving them and expanding their use.
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