The study is led by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the United States and brings together scientific groups from Brazil, India, Senegal, and Uganda.

Representing the South American nation are the Cassiano Antonio Moraes University Hospital at the Federal University of Espírito Santo (Hucam-Ufes) and the University of Sao Paulo.

The research will analyze the virus’s behavior at the cellular level in patients from different countries, as well as immune system responses to the infection; patients with both hepatitis B and HIV will also be included.

Researchers will study 600 people with hepatitis B or HIV coinfection over approximately four and a half years; each country will contribute 150 participants, with the Brazilian team analyzing 75 patients.

The study aims to determine why the virus evolves differently among affected individuals, identify genetic characteristics that may protect against rapid disease progression, and find components that could serve as indicators of treatment response or a potential cure.

According to specialist Tania Reuter from Hucam-Ufes, one of the goals is to identify targets for the development of new drugs, including medications capable of stimulating or modulating the immune response.

The study’s significance lies in the consequences of a disease that can remain silent for years and lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.

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