Creating a mouse model to study hepatitis B virus infection
Official title: Breaching the species barrier: Towards an immunocompetent HBV-susceptible mouse model
Funded at Rockefeller University · NIH-11114005 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is creating a special type of mouse that can get infected with the hepatitis B virus to help scientists learn more about the virus and find better treatments for people living with chronic hepatitis B.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rockefeller University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | June 12, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $780,790 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI183884-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11114005 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals suffering from chronic hepatitis B infection who are seeking new treatment options.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with acute hepatitis B or those who do not have hepatitis B infection may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to develop a new mouse model that can be infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is crucial for understanding and potentially curing chronic HBV infections. Current treatments can suppress the virus but do not eliminate it, and existing animal models are not suitable for studying the immune response to HBV. By engineering mice that can support HBV infection and have a functional immune system, researchers hope to explore new therapeutic strategies that could restore the immune response against the virus. This innovative approach could lead to breakthroughs in treatment options for patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective treatments or even a cure for chronic hepatitis B infection.
How similar studies have gone: While there have been attempts to create animal models for HBV, this specific approach of using immunocompetent mice is novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Rockefeller University
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Rice, Charles M — Rockefeller University
- Study coordinator: Rice, Charles M
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How cells organize into organized tissues to form organs
Researchers are studying how human-like cells in a lab can self-organize within a scaffold to form orderly tissue patterns, which could illuminate how organs such as skin and bones develop.
-
Modeling Ataxia Telangiectasia in a human stem cell model of Purkinje cells
Researchers are creating a patient-derived, human cell model of Purkinje cells to understand why this brain disease causes cerebellar degeneration in people with Ataxia Telangiectasia.
-
Centers studying how cancer spreads through the body
A multi-institutional project at Rockefeller University is exploring how nerves, blood vessels, lymphatics, immune cells, and metabolites influence the spread of cancer to help identify new ways to stop metastasis.
-
Understanding how mycobacterial transcription works to guide better TB drugs
Researchers will study how the RNA polymerase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and related bacteria start, pause, and finish copying genetic information, with the goal of informing new antibiotic strategies against TB.
-
How chromosomes stay true when cells divide in cancer research
Researchers are studying how chromosomes are accurately copied and distributed during cell division to understand and potentially prevent cancer.
-
Marmoset model of Huntington's disease shows how symptoms relate to brain and behavior
A researcher at a top university is studying how Huntington's disease affects brain signals and behavior in marmosets to better understand the human condition.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.