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IMAGE: Human liver cell lines (green, with blue nuclei) infected with HBV express an HBV protein (in red) in this image captured by immunofluorescence microscopy.
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Credit: Image by Stephanie Maya, Princeton University
Researchers at Princeton have determined how five cellular proteins contribute to an essential step in the life cycle of hepatitis B virus (HBV). The article describing these findings appeared March 11, 2021 in the journal
Nature Communications.
Viruses have been with us, shaping our lives, societies and economies for millennia. While some viruses rapidly explode onto the world stage, others smolder in our communities for decades, shattering lives but making few headlines. Hepatitis B virus hasn't caused any nationwide lockdowns or stock market crashes because it is slow to spread from person to person and is rarely immediately fatal. It is nonetheless incredibly damaging because it can establish lifelong chronic infection with profound consequences for its victims.