Donate Now
Baruch S. Blumberg institute Logo
Donate Now
Baruch S. Blumberg institute Logo
Baruch S. Blumberg institute Logo
Menu
Menu
Baruch S. Blumberg institute Logo
Menu
Menu

Publications


Explore our latest publications showcasing discoveries and the impact of our scientists' research.

The Baruch S. Blumberg Institute is committed to advancing scientific discovery through innovative research in virology, liver disease, cancer, and related fields. Our scientists regularly publish their findings in leading peer-reviewed journals, contributing new knowledge that helps shape the future of biomedical research and supports the development of improved diagnostics, treatments, and cures.

View all of our Recent publications

Viral pathogenesis and antiviral drug discovery and development:​

A novel highly specific qPCR assay for distinguishing HBV cccDNA from rcDNA following bisulfite pretreatment

This study developed and evaluated a novel highly specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay designed to accurately distinguish hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) from relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA) following bisulfite pretreatment. Because HBV cccDNA serves as the persistent intracellular viral reservoir and plays a critical role in chronic HBV infection, accurately measuring cccDNA is essential for understanding HBV replication and persistence and for evaluating antiviral therapies aimed at reducing or eliminating the viral reservoir.

Authors - Sun N, Wang Z, Heimer Z, Wenner C, Lin SY, Ding HY, Kubas R, Liu Y-Y, Qiu E, Liu H-N, Hung H-C, Huang W, Zhou T, Lau DT-Y, Su Y-H, Guo H.
Read Here
9/2026

Structures of Hepatitis B Virus Subviral Particles and Identification of Potential Druggable Pockets for the Discovery of Antiviral Agents

The structural features of S-HBs in the context of SVPs have been recently elucidated by several groups using high resolution cryo-EM techniques. In this review, we resolve the commonalities and differences between these reports.

Authors - Cuconati A, Fan KY, Tolufashe G, Zhao Q, Guo JT
Read Here
7/2026

Differential intrahepatic integrated HBV DNA patterns between HBeAg-positive and HBeAg-negative chronic hepatitis B

We evaluated the cccDNA and iDNA from liver tissues of 24 hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)(+) and 32 HBeAg(-) treatment-naïve chronic hepatitis B (CHB) participants in the North American Hepatitis B Research Network.

Authors - Lau DT, Kim ES, Wang Z, King WC, Kleiner DE, Ghany MG, Liu Y, Chung R, Sterling RK, Cloherty G, Lin SY, Liu HN, Sun N, Su YH, Guo H
Read Here
5/2026

Precision Medicine:

Urinary cell-free DNA as a noninvasive liquid biopsy for hepatocellular carcinoma Kim AK, Lin SY, Liu HN, Jain S, Gade TP, Shieh FS, Hamilton J, Hann HW, Chang TT, Goryunov D, Wang Z, Su YH. Urinary cell-free DNA as a noninvasive liquid biopsy for hepatocellular carcinoma. 

The goal of this study is to comprehensively characterize transrenal DNA as a source for genetic profiling of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), using hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA as a representative marker.

Authors - Kim AK, Lin SY, Liu HN, Jain S, Gade TP, Shieh FS, Hamilton J, Hann HW, Chang TT, Goryunov D, Wang Z, Su YH.
Read Here
9/2026

PPARγ acetylation governs mammary adenocarcinoma tumor growth via acetylated residues that determine DNA sequence-specific binding

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ), which is expressed in a variety of malignancies, governs biological functions through transcriptional programs. Defining the molecular mechanisms governing the selection of canonical versus non-canonical PPARγ binding sequences may provide the opportunity to design regulators with distinct functions and side effects.

Authors - Lifeng Tian, Xuanmao Jiao, Chenguang Wang, Danni Li, Adam Ertel, Joanna Achinger-Kawecka, Sankar Addya, Raymond E Soccio, Eric R Chen, Balázs Győrffy, Gabriele Di Sante, Zhijiu Zhong, Haidar Alkhafaji, Nina Entcheva, Elyssa M Campbell, Peter A McCue, Andrew V Kossenkov, Rita Pancsa, Peter Tompa, Susan J Clark, Richard G Pestell
Read Here
9/2025

Detection of circulating mRNA variantsin hepatocellular carcinoma patients using targeted RNAseq

The objective of the current study was to use targeted RNAseq to validate the specificity and sensitivity of these HCC selective variants in an independent cohort of patients with liver cirrhosis (LC). Several methods to isolate small extracellular vesicles and amplify mRNA from the circulation were compared.

Authors - Zezulinski D, Hoteit MA, Kaplan DE, Simeone A, Zhan T, Doria C, Ahmed FY, Roberts LR, Block T and Sayeed A
Read Here
4/2025

Molecular Oncology and Regeneration Medicine:

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others.

Authors - GBD 2021 Causes of Death Collaborators
Read Here
5/2024

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

To estimate fertility indicators from 1950 to 2021, mixed-effects regression models and spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression were used to synthesise data from 8709 country-years of vital and sample registrations, 1455 surveys and censuses, and 150 other sources, and to generate age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) for 5-year age groups from age 10 years to 54 years.

Authors - GBD 2021 Fertility and Forecasting Collaborators
Read Here
5/2024

A cyclin D1 intrinsically disordered domain accesses modified histone motifs to govern gene transcription

The essential G1-cyclin, CCND1, is frequently overexpressed in cancer, contributing to tumorigenesis by driving cell-cycle progression. D-type cyclins are rate-limiting regulators of G1-S progression in mammalian cells via their ability to bind and activate CDK4 and CDK6. In addition, cyclin D1 conveys kinase-independent transcriptional functions of cyclin D1. Here we report that cyclin D1 associates with H2BS14 via an intrinsically disordered domain (IDD). The same region of cyclin D1 was necessary for the induction of aneuploidy, induction of the DNA damage response, cyclin D1-mediated recruitment into chromatin, and CIN gene transcription.

Authors - Jiao X, Di Sante G, Casimiro MC, Tantos A, Ashton AW, Li Z, Quach Y, Bhargava D, Di Rocco A, Pupo C, Crosariol M, Lazar T, Tompa P, Wang C, Yu Z, Zhang Z, Aldaaysi K, Vadlamudi R, Mann M, Skordalakes E, Kossenkov A, Du Y, Pestell RG
Read Here
5/2024
View all of our Recent publications