Modeling Hepatitis Delta Infection
Speaker:
Jonathan Forde (Hobart and William Smith Colleges)
Date and Time:
Thursday, July 22, 2010 - 11:30am to 12:00pm
Location:
The Fields Institute
Abstract:
Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) is a satellite of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), and can only reproduce in hepatocytes which are simultaneously infected with HBV. Patients chronically infected with both HBV and HDV are more likely to experience liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cirrhosis than those infected with HBV alone. We develop a model of HBV-HDV infection to explore the roles of the two infections, their interactions, and the immune response in patient outcomes.