The abstract is read at the publisher; the summary is JClub's.
B-BEST targeted sc/snRNA-seq resolves HBV replication-state heterogeneity in HBV-positive hepatocytes, linking specific host metabolic/mitochondrial programs to active viral transcription in HBeAg-positive patients.
- Why it matters: Conventional poly(A)-based single-cell RNA sequencing cannot disentangle HBV-driven cellular heterogeneity from dominant host transcripts, limiting identification of host determinants of replication and persistence.
- What they did: The authors developed B-BEST using custom beads with HBV-specific probes to quantify 5 viral genomic regions (S, X, pgRNA, rcDNA, cccDNA), validating it in HepAD38 cells and applying it to treatment-naïve patient liver tissue and antiviral-treated Hu-URG humanized liver-chimeric mice.
- The result: In HBeAg-positive patients, HBV-positive subpopulations enriched for hepatic synthesis/metabolism and mitochondrial function were linked to active viral replication and transcription with only a mild type I interferon response, while severe inflammation correlated with suppressed HBV replication.
The findingWhy it mattersWhat they didThe result
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