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Gut Microbes May Play a Role in Age-Related Hepatitis B Virus Clearance

Treating adult mice with antibiotics to wipe out their intestinal microbiota made them unable to naturally clear hepatitis B virus (HBV), so they became more like young mice that developed chronic infection, according to a report in the February 2 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers also showed that mice lacking toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) cleared HBV regardless of age.

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Novel Lab Technique May Aid Study of New Hepatitis B Treatments

A laboratory model of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) lifecycle using a stem cell technique that maintains the virus in liver cells may help researchers d

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evelop new treatments for the disease, according to a report in the August 4 advance edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Researchers Discover Structure of Hepatitis B Antigen that Interferes with Immune Response

Researchers from the University of Oxford and the U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases have determined the crystal structure of the hepatitis B "e" antigen (HBeAg), which plays a role in immune tolerance and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, according to a study published in the January 8, 2013, issue of the journal Structure. These findings may aid the development of new therapies that improve immune response against the virus.

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Low Vitamin D Linked to Greater Hepatitis B Virus Replication

Low blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D were strongly associated with higher hepatitis B virus (HBV) viral load in a study of more than 200 untreated patients described in the May 22, 2013 advance online edition of Hepatology.

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Korean Mummy Reveals Hepatitis B Genetic Clues

Genetic analysis of a liver sample from a mummified child found in Korea has revealed a distinct ancient form of a hepatitis B virus C2 genotype now common in Southeast Asia, researchers reported in the May 21, 2012, advance online edition of Hepatology.alt

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