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.

Viral pathogenesis and antiviral drug discovery and development:​

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
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
5/2026

Detection and characterization of Hepatitis B virus double-stranded linear DNA-derived covalently closed circular DNA in chronic hepatitis B patients

HBV-targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to identify 32 dsl-cccDNA-positive candidates, 22 HBeAg(+) and 10 HBeAg(-), from 56 liver biopsies of antiviral treatment-naïve CHB patients for dsl-cccDNA confirmation and characterization by PSAD-cccDNA PCR NGS. INDELs within the DR2-1 region (nt 1600-1840) of the cccDNA were analyzed.

Authors - Liu HN, Kim E, Sun N, Wang Z, Nguyen T, Shieh FS, Liu Y, Ghany MG, Chung RT, Sterling RK, Lin SY, Guo H, Lau DTY,
Su YH
2/2026

Precision Medicine:

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
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
4/2025

Characterization of integrated hepatitis B virus DNA harboring pre-S mutations in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with ground glass hepatocytes

This study aimed to investigate whether integrated HBV DNA (iDNA) is the primary HBV DNA species responsible for sustained pre-S expression in GGH after effective antiviral therapy. We characterized 10 sets of micro-dissected, formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded, and frozen GGH, HCC, and adjacent hepatitis B surface antigen-negative stained tissues for iDNA, pre-S deletions, and the quantity of covalently closed circular DNA.

Authors - Su YP, Lin SY, Su IJ, Kao YL, Shen SC, Earl JP, Ehrlich GD, Chen CY, Huang W, Su YH, Tsai HW
1/2024

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
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
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
5/2024