Chronic viral hepatitis
Molecular biology of hepatitis B viruses
(Prof. Dr. Volker Bruss)
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections and the resulting liver diseases are serious medical problems and available therapies of limited efficacy. The development of new or the improvement of existing therapeutic concepts on a rational basis requires a deep knowledge of the biology of HBV on a molecular level. The virus is the prototype of the family hepadnaviridae characterized by several unique features. For example, hepadnaviruses are very species specific and efficiently replicate only in hepatocytes, they have the smallest DNA genome among enveloped DNA viruses (only appr. 3 kb) which is generated by reverse transcription. The whole circular genome is covered by four open reading frames which overlap extensively with each other. Important questions about the HBV biology are still unresolved and our understanding of potential antiviral targets insufficient. The group investigates the specific research topics of the molecular biology of hepatitis B viruses listed below.
