Spatial transcriptional profiling of CHB liver biopsies reveals an undetected population of zonally biased HBV-integrated cells - PubMed
12 hours ago
- #Liver Biopsy
- #Spatial Transcriptomics
- #HBV
- Spatial transcriptional profiling reveals an undetected population of zonally biased HBV-integrated cells in CHB liver biopsies.
- HBV cccDNA and iDNA are key features of chronic HBV (CHB), requiring elimination for functional cure.
- Study used RNA-based spatial methods, CISH, mIF, and machine learning on CHB liver biopsies.
- Identified a novel population of iDNA cells that are HBsAg mIF- but produce viral RNA levels comparable to HBsAg mIF+ cells.
- These cells show a periportal zonal preference in liver spatial location.
- snRNA-Seq confirmed a higher burden of HBs RNA+ nuclei compared to HBsAg mIF+ cells.
- Findings suggest protein-based methods underestimate HBV burden, highlighting the importance of RNA-based approaches.
- Study implications include better understanding of HBV infection heterogeneity and improved therapeutic strategies for functional cure.
- Clinical trial registration: GS-US-174-0149.