Metabolic phenotypes, cellular pathways and mechanisms of persistence in chronic hepatitis B infection

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection is the leading cause of liver cancer globally, accounting for 900,00 death annually. The World Health Organisation has set targets to eliminate CHB by 2030. However, we still do not fully understand how CHB causes disease and death, and how to adequately control CHB in African patients. As a result, current treatment for CHB does not clear the virus (cure) nor eliminate the risk of cancer development. Using a well-characterised cohort of African adults with CHB, longitudinally followed up since 2011, I will study the expression of metabolites at various stages of CHB disease and investigate how these metabolites influence the persistence, multiplication, and clearance of hepatitis B virus. I will then propose possible pathways important for CHB disease progression and identify potential targets for CHB cure. Findings will advance research on CHB cure and will impact clinical care and elimination of CHB in Africans.