Despite the availability of an effective vaccine, there are still 400 million people worldwide who are chronically infected with the hepatitis B and D viruses (HBV and HDV), and more work still needs to be done in all of the key areas of managing the disease. In Hepatitis B and D Protocols, leading investigators and clinicians have joined forces to create a broad-ranging collection of core techniques for the study of HBV and HDV infections and for the development of therapies to treat them. In this first of two volumes Detection, Genotypes, and Characterization, the authors focus on readily reproducible molecular methods for the identification and quantification of viral markers, the detection and impact of viral variants, and the study of the viral life cycle. Each fully tested protocol is described in step-by-step detail by an established expert in the field and includes a background introduction outlining the principle underlying the technique, equipment and reagent lists, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. An accompanying second volume, Immunology, Model Systems, and Clinical Studies, contains user-friendly protocols for the study of host immune responses to infection, in vitro and in vivo models of infection, and the development of antivirals.
Taken together, Hepatitis B and D Protocols, Volume 1: Detection, Genotypes, and Characterization and Volume 2: Immunology, Model Systems, and Clinical Studies offer both new and experienced investigators an encyclopedic collection of powerful tools for studying HBV and HDV infections, as well as an essential resource for finding new therapies to treat chronically infected patients.