title: Virology. Comment on "Specific and nonhepatotoxic degradation of nuclear hepatitis B virus cccDNA".
abstract: Lucifora et al. (Research Articles, 14 March 2014, p. 1221) report that the hepatitis B virus (HBV) transcriptional template, a long-lived covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) molecule, is degraded noncytolytically by agents that up-regulate APOBEC3A and 3B. If these results can be independently confirmed, they would represent a critical first step toward development of a cure for the 400 million patients who are chronically infected by HBV.
authors.affiliation: The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. fchisari@scripps.edu.
authors.forename: Francis V
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Chisari
authors.affiliation: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
authors.forename: William S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Mason
authors.affiliation: Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seeger
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004270:DNA, Circular / Q000378:metabolism*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D053259:Lymphotoxin beta Receptor / Q000819:agonists*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004270:DNA, Circular; D004279:DNA, Viral; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D053259:Lymphotoxin beta Receptor