Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is one type of hepatitis – a liver disease- caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Hepatitis B spreads by contact with an infected person's blood, semen or other body fluid. An infected woman can give hepatitis B to her baby at birth.

What is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver that is spread when contact is made with blood or blood products from an infected individual.

Hepatitis B Symptoms

Hepatitis B Prognosis

Closed Circular DNA and Hepatitis B Infection

Is Hepatitis Preventable?

Hepatitis B and Hepatitis D

Hepatitis B Immunization

Hepatitis B Structure: Capsid Flexibility and Function

Hepatitis B Mechanisms

Hepatitis B Treatment

Hepatitis B Prevention

Hepatitis B Diagnosis

Latest Hepatitis B News and Research

Baseline liver fibrosis severity predicts treatment response in patients with HBeAg-positive CHB

The impact of baseline liver fibrosis severity on the effectiveness of pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN) combined with nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) in the treatment of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) has not been fully clarified.

23 Sep 2026

Eight-weekly HIV injections prove more effective than daily tablets for young people

Young people living with HIV manage their condition better when their antiretroviral therapy is given by injections every eight weeks, rather than in the form of daily tablets, according to the results of a trial in Africa led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

17 Sep 2026

Military blast exposure associated with long-term health conditions

Exposure to high-level blasts from incoming explosive devices or land mines among military veterans is associated with an increased risk of several conditions such as seizures, neuropathy and stroke years later, according to a study published September 16, 2026, in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Sep 2026

New integrated framework advances precision surgery for liver cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the sixth most common malignancy and the third leading cause of cancer-related death globally.

9 Sep 2026

Could scorpion venom inspire new treatments for liver disease?

Scorpion venom peptides show promising anti-inflammatory, antiviral, analgesic, and immunomodulatory effects, with experimental evidence suggesting that some candidates could target pathways involved in chronic liver disease and viral hepatitis. The review highlights Kv1.3-blocking peptides and antiviral compounds as potential therapeutic leads, while emphasizing that limited hepatic efficacy data, poor pharmacokinetics, immunogenicity, and manufacturing challenges must be overcome before clinical translation.

8 Sep 2026

NIH grants support research on whether PFAS exposure increases risk of liver and endometrial cancers

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of USC and USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center have received two grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) totaling $7.5 million to study whether exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), the synthetic compounds known as "forever chemicals," increases the risk of liver cancer and endometrial cancer.

25 Aug 2026

Study maps rising lifetime risk of digestive cancers in China

The global landscape of oncology is shifting, and nowhere is this transition more complex or consequential than in China.

24 Aug 2026

Microbial metabolites could help improve functional cure rates for hepatitis B

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains a major global challenge. Current therapies suppress HBV but rarely achieve functional cure (sustained HBsAg loss).

30 Jul 2026

Novel interventional approach successfully treats rare hepatic myelopathy

Hepatic myelopathy (HM) is a rare neurological complication of decompensated chronic liver disease that profoundly impairs quality of life.

28 Jul 2026

Integration is key to fighting global epidemics, WHO reports

The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched a new report assessing progress in implementing the Global Health Sector Strategies (GHSS) on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for 2022–2030.

28 Jul 2026

Europe risks missing target to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030

While Europe has made steady progress in preventing hepatitis B and C, with the prevalence of hepatitis B now at near-zero levels among children below five years old, an uneven implementation of key measures means that the region is set to miss the 2030 target to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat, according to new data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on World Hepatitis Day.

28 Jul 2026

Occult hepatitis B mutations drive liver cancer growth via Akt mTOR pathway

Occult hepatitis B virus (OBI) infection presents a significant global health challenge, notoriously flying under the radar of standard viral screening while relentlessly driving the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

22 Jul 2026

Survey finds widespread uncertainty over pregnancy vaccine recommendations

Most Americans are unaware or unsure of which vaccines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends during pregnancy, according to a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

22 Jul 2026

Study reveals mechanism underlying HBV-induced liver inflammation

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major cause of global liver morbidity, leading to progressive necroinflammation that often culminates in cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

17 Jul 2026

Integrating gene signatures and multi omics improves liver cancer treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains highly fatal due to late diagnosis and scarce early biomarkers.

14 Jul 2026

New viral library helps scientists study thousands of proteins

To prevent viruses from sickening or killing us - whether it's an individual case of hepatitis B or a COVID pandemic - it's crucial to understand how the proteins they make initiate changes in our bodies that allow them to flourish.

11 Jul 2026

Global cancer cases projected to reach nearly 35 million by 2050

Millions of people are facing physical, emotional and financial toll of cancer, a disease that claims more than 26 000 lives every day, according to a report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO).

9 Jul 2026

Strategic healthcare interventions bring Japan close to eliminating hepatitis

Hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) are viral infections that can lead to health conditions such as cirrhosis, cancer, and potentially death if unmanaged. HBV can be transmitted through sexual contact, blood exposure, and mother-to-child transmission, while HCV is primarily transmitted through blood-to-blood contact.

25 Jun 2026

Targeted vaccination strategies strengthen global biosecurity and biosafety

Biosafety prevents biohazard risks to humans and the environment, biosecurity protects biological assets from misuse, and One Health is an interdisciplinary framework uniting human, animal, and environmental health—all core to global health protection.

17 Jun 2026

Chronic liver disease threatens millions across Europe, report finds

Europe is facing a growing chronic liver disease threat, according to a new Series published today in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, that engaged more than 75 co-authors from 30 countries and was led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation.

25 May 2026