The Hepatitis B and Delta Viruses (Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine) - Hardcover

Seeger, Christoph; Locarnini, Stephen

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1621820882 ISBN 13: 9781621820888

Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2015

Synopsis

Despite the availability of an effective vaccine for hepatitis B, hundreds of millions of people worldwide are infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This virus can cause serious liver damage and cancer in chronically infected patients. Hepatitis delta virus (HDV), a satellite of HBV, can exacerbate the disease.

Written and edited by experts in the field, this collection from Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine examines all aspects of HBV and HDV infections and their management. Contributors discuss the HBV and HDV life cycles, their unique characteristics (e.g., the formation of HBV cccDNA), the immune responses they elicit, and the challenges they present to the development of antiviral treatments. The molecular mechanisms that lead to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma are reviewed, as are factors that influence the severity of the disease. Conventional treatments (e.g., interferons), emerging therapeutic strategies, and ongoing efforts to find a cure for chronic infections are also described.

This volume includes perspectives on the origins and evolution of these viruses, historical milestones in HBV and HDV research, and insights from animal models (e.g., woodchucks). It is an essential reference for all virologists, clinical and laboratory investigators, and physicians interested in reducing the burden of liver disease caused by HBV and HDV.

About this title

About the Author

Christoph Seeger is Professor at the Fox Chase Cancer Center.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1621820882
• ISBN 13: 9781621820888
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 363