Hamster model to help advance hepatitis B treatments
Official title: Development of a hamster model for hepatitis B virus infection
Funded at Utah State University · NIH-11166378 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are building a hamster-based system to better mimic hepatitis B infection and help develop cures for people with chronic HBV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Logan, United States) |
| Project start | August 9, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $728,653 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI183883-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11166378 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
While this project does not enroll patients, its findings would most directly benefit people living with chronic hepatitis B (including children and adults) who may become candidates for future therapies tested using the model.
✕Less likely to help
People without HBV or those looking for immediate treatment are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this preclinical research.
What this research studies
This project creates a new hamster-based system that mimics how hepatitis B infects and persists in the liver. Scientists will modify hamster liver cells and use viral delivery tools so the virus can enter cells and form the viral DNA structure (cccDNA) that drives chronic infection. They will test whether infected hamsters support the full HBV life cycle and immune responses that resemble human disease. If the model works, it will be used to screen and refine therapies aimed at curing chronic hepatitis B.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the model could speed development and testing of therapies that target the root causes of chronic hepatitis B.
How similar studies have gone: Humanized mouse and primate models have offered useful insights, but creating an immunocompetent small-animal hamster model that supports HBV cccDNA is largely novel and unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Utah State University
Logan, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Zhongde — Utah State University
- Study coordinator: Wang, Zhongde
Related research
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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.