Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 11, 2025
Author Spotlight: Advancements and Challenges in Hepatitis B Virus Detection
Published on: December 15, 2023
Research progress on detection methods for hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA
Fenglan Sun1, Wei Xia1, Yaoling Ouyang1
1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University, Jingzhou, China.
Insights
Detecting Hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is crucial for managing persistent infections. This review explores advanced detection methods, including PCR and non-PCR techniques, and surrogate markers for better clinical monitoring and drug development.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global health concern.
- HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) persists in infected cells, driving recurrence.
- Current treatments cannot eliminate cccDNA, necessitating effective detection methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and analyze current and emerging methods for detecting HBV cccDNA.
- To evaluate the advantages and limitations of various detection techniques.
- To propose future directions for HBV cccDNA detection and drug development.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on HBV cccDNA detection.
- Analysis of Western blotting as a gold standard.
- Exploration of next-generation PCR and non-PCR methods (e.g., in situ hybridization).
- Investigation of HBV core-related antigen as a surrogate marker.
Main Results:
- Western blotting is accurate but complex and time-consuming.
- New PCR and non-PCR technologies offer improved detection capabilities.
- Surrogate markers like hepatitis B core-related antigen show promise for indirect cccDNA assessment.
Conclusions:
- Accurate detection of HBV cccDNA is vital for clinical management and therapeutic strategies.
- Advancements in detection technologies are improving monitoring and drug development.
- Further research into novel methods and surrogate markers is warranted for effective Hepatitis B control.
Abstract:
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a serious global public health problem, and HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) in the nucleus of infected cells cannot be eliminated by current treatments and is a major factor in the persistence and recurrence of hepatitis B. Efficient and scientific detection methods are important for clinical monitoring of cccDNA and targeted drug development. Western blotting is the gold standard for the quantitative detection of cccDNA, but it is time-consuming and complex. In recent years, new detection technologies have been continuously updated. There are new developments and breakthroughs in both next-generation polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and non-PCR methods such as in situ hybridization. Some HBV-related markers (such as hepatitis B core-related antigen) have also been shown to be closely related to cccDNA, and they can be used as surrogate markers to indirectly reflect cccDNA content. In this paper, the main detection methods of cccDNA and their improvements are reviewed, the advantages and limitations of these methods are analysed and summarized, and future development directions are proposed.
