More than 240 million people around the world are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Nucleos(t)ide analogs and interferon are the only two families of drugs to treat HBV currently. However, none of these anti-virals directly target the stable nuclear covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which acts as a transcription template for viral mRNA and pre-genomic RNA synthesis and s...

Aim . Assessment of the clinical impact previous hepatitis B infection (PHB). Key points PHB is characterized by presence viral DNA in organism (including intrahepatic cccDNA and integrated DNA). Possible virus persistence patient's hepatocytes potentiates agent transmission risk via haemotransfusion, organ transplantation haemodialysis. Occult HBV individuals can reactivate at background immun...

Chronic hepatitis B treatment is available for a long period, allowing disease control and infection suppression, but it is rarely responsible for HBsAg clearance. None of the drugs available aim at cccDNA, the obstacle in HBV infection eradication. Complications related to CHB, such as liver insufficiency, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma are reduced in conditions of good viremia suppre...

We have determined the sequence of the inverted repeats and duplicated target DNA of the halobacterial insertion elements ISH2 (520 bp), ISH23 (900 bp) and ISH24 (3000 bp) associated with bacterio-opsin (bop) mutants. ISH2 has a perfect 19 bp inverted repeat (3,5), while both ISH23 and ISH24 have imperfect inverted repeats of 29 bp and 14 bp respectively. ISH23 was shown to be highly homologous...