Expert reveals how to overcome HEPATITIS B VIRUS (HBV) GENOME

By Tosin Clegg

A new research has shed light on Gene-Editing techniques for targeted therapeutic delivery.
In a pioneering study, Leshaodo Oluwatosin’s research spans two critical areas: improving Drug delivery systems for long-term disease management and developing CRISPR-based antiviral strategies with the potential to disrupt persistent viral infections.
Tabitha’s work is contributing to major advancement in drug delivery and gene-editing therapeutics, that could transform global treatment strategies for chronic diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B, and hypertension.

Hepatitis B remains a major public health threat, with over 250 million people living with chronic infections globally. If untreated, HBV can lead to severe liver conditions including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, a leading cause of liver cancer. In the U.S. alone, tens of thousands suffer from the chronic form of the disease, with significant healthcare burdens associated with lifelong treatment and monitoring.
In recent study, Ms. Leshaodo with group of other scientists at a US university’s center for infectious disease investigated the technology, CRISPR/Cas9, a revolutionary gene editing tool that acts like molecular scissors. CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) and the Cas9 enzyme enable scientists to precisely locate and cut specific DNA sequences, allowing them to disrupt faulty genes or deactivate viral genomes embedded in human cells.

In the experiment, the team developed and tested several combinations of guide RNAs (gRNAs) paired with Cas9 proteins which showed exceptional ability to block HBV replication. When used together in infected liver cells, the duo drastically reduced HBV DNA, RNA, and viral proteins. Notably, repeated treatments enhanced their effectiveness, suggesting a possible protocol for long-term viral suppression.

Even more promising, the study confirmed that these gRNAs target highly conserved regions of the HBV genome, making them effective across major genotypes of the virus found worldwide. The researchers also demonstrated success in primary human hepatocytes, making the findings relevant for real-world applications.

Importantly, this method avoids the long-term safety concerns associated with viral vector-based delivery of CRISPR, as synthetic RNPs degrade within 24 hours, lowering the risk of unwanted immune responses or genetic side effects. This makes the approach particularly viable for clinical use in the United States, and other parts of the world where safety and regulatory standards for gene therapy are exceptionally high.
“This work not only deepens our understanding of HBV biology but moves us a step closer to a functional cure,” Tabitha noted. “The potential to treat chronic hepatitis B safely and effectively would be a transformative achievement for public health.”

Tabitha mentioned that her research and analytical development contribution to public health is now being recognized on a global platform as she will be leading process development from laboratories into worldclass manufacturing global network that brings together leading-edge technologies, risk-based study design and customizable workflows to deliver agile solutions during the journey to commercialization.
As the world continues to battle persistent and deadly infectious diseases, this research stands as a beacon of innovation. The implications for public health, healthcare systems, and global disease eradication efforts are enormous offering hope to millions and potentially changing the trajectory of HBV treatment for generations to come.