Hepatitis B and HIV Cure Network
Official title: Hepatitis B and HIV Cure Consortium (BICC)
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11423430 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multinational group is gathering people with HIV and chronic hepatitis B to study new ideas that could lead to a functional cure for hepatitis B.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 17, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $240,012 |
| NIH project number | 3U19AI188551-02S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11423430 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with HIV and chronic hepatitis B who are willing to participate in long-term follow-up and provide samples.
✕Less likely to help
People not meeting the cohort criteria or unable to participate in long-term sampling may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project teams up researchers from several countries to enroll people with HIV and chronic hepatitis B, collecting blood and liver samples to understand what helps HBV surface antigen disappear while off treatment. They will build a shared clinical and specimen repository from 675 participants across diverse genotypes to support discovery. The effort includes regular follow-up and tissue sampling, with a plan to translate findings into strategies that could improve liver outcomes for people living with HIV and HBV. The Johns Hopkins team leads the effort with a focus on creating resources that other researchers can use to accelerate a cure.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could accelerate the development of a functional HBV cure that benefits people living with HIV and HBV.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has built HBV cohorts and biorepositories, but this project expands to a multinational, genotype-diverse population to push toward a cure.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thio, Chloe L — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Thio, Chloe L
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
HBV cure clues in people with and without HIV
This project studies how HBV-specific B and T cell responses relate to curing hepatitis B in people with and without HIV.
-
HBV cure factors in people with and without HIV
This project studies how HBV-specific immune cells behave during treatment and whether people with HIV respond differently than those without HIV.
-
HBV prevention in community pharmacies: a first step in a low-resource setting
This pilot project tests whether hepatitis B screening and vaccination can be integrated into everyday community pharmacy services to reach more people.
-
Blood markers to catch early liver cancer in Hispanic people with hepatitis B
This project will see if a blood test can find liver cancer earlier in Hispanic people who have chronic hepatitis B.
-
Early blood markers to find hepatitis B–related liver cancer in Hispanics
This project will use immune-related blood markers to find liver cancer earlier in people with chronic hepatitis B, focusing on Hispanic adults.
-
HBV safety with long-acting HIV therapy for people with HIV
A study to understand how long-acting HIV meds affect hepatitis B in people living with HIV and how to best monitor and protect them.
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.