Hepatitis B Virus Infection and MicroRNAs: Future Trends to Diagnostics and Therapeutics

Abstract

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) invades the liver causing both acute as well as chronic illness that might lead to fatal end-stage liver diseases. Despite of the availability of an effective vaccine and several treatment options, this virus continues to be a chief cause of liver diseases accounting for a major share of morbidity and mortality across the globe. miRNAs, which are important modulators of gene function, have been extensively researched with regard to their role in the regulation of Hepatitis B virus gene expression. They can regulate viral replication and pathogenesis by facilitation, direct or indirect inhibition, activation of immune response, epigenetic modulation and by numerous other mechanisms.  Among the several miRNAs that participates in each of these mechanisms, there are some miRNAs that commonly participate in more than one of such pathways. The present chapter is an attempt to effectively sort these miRNAs from a functional point of view. A comprehensive idea regarding these miRNAs and their mechanisms in modifying the virus and/or the host could help in the development of several diagnostic and therapeutic tools in future. The findings of this chapter have been published by Sarkar et al. in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2015.