| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,550,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,050,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a worldwide health problem that affects more than 350 million people. HBV is one of the major etiological pathogens for liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is a key viral intermediate for persistent infection. However, the molecular mechanism of cccDNA formation has not been clarified. In this project, we found that the host factor flap-endonuclease 1 (FEN1) is pivotal in cccDNA formation. We developed a novel cccDNA formation assay using purified viral precursor DNA with recombinant FEN1, DNA polymerase, and DNA ligase. This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of cccDNA formation and proposes FEN1 as a potential anti-HBV drug target.
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