Studying Hepatitis Virus-Host Interactions in Patient Liver Biopsies

Infectious diseases are a major contributor to human suffering and the associated socioeconomic burden worldwide. A better understanding of human pathogen-host interactions is a prerequisite for the development of treatment strategies aimed at combatting human pathogen-induced diseases. Model systems that faithfully recapitulate the pathogen-host interactions in humans are critical to gain meaningful insight. Unfortunately, such model systems are not yet available for a number of pathogens. The strict tropism of the hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses for the human liver has made it difficult to study their virus-host interactions during the natural history of these infections. In this case, surplus liver biopsy tissue donated by patients provides an opportunity to obtain a snapshot of the phenomenological and molecular aspects of the human liver of chronically HCV or HBV-infected patients. In this review, we will briefly summarize our own efforts over the years to advance our knowledge of the virus-host interactions during the natural history of chronic HCV and HBV infection.

Automated summary

Infectious diseases cause significant human suffering and socioeconomic burden worldwide. Understanding the interactions between human pathogens and hosts is crucial for developing effective treatment strategies. However, there is a lack of model systems that accurately replicate these interactions. The tropism of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) viruses for the human liver poses challenges in studying their interactions during the natural progression of these infections. This review summarizes the efforts to advance our knowledge of virus-host interactions in chronic HCV and HBV infection through the analysis of surplus liver biopsy tissue donated by patients.