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Grants awarded for HBV research
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Saint Louis University School of Medicine received two grants totaling $1 million from the National Institutes of Health that researchers will use toward finding a cure for hepatitis B virus infection, according to a university press release.
John Tavis, PhD, professor of molecular biology and immunology at the university, published research that provides a way to measure and block an unstudied RNAseH enzyme to stop the spread of HBV, according to the release. His research will be used to enhance an assay used to track the enzyme’s activity.
“We must re-engineer the assay to be faster and of a better quality,” Tavis said in the press release. “We’ll convert it from a gel-based radioactive assay to a faster and easier fluorescent format.”
In addition to improving the assay, grant money will be used for screening active enzyme from the eight known HBV genotypes, according to the release.
Tavis will team with fellow faculty members Marvin Meyers, PhD, director of medicinal chemistry at the university’s Center for World Health and Medicine (CWHM), and David Griggs, PhD, director of biology at the CWHM, in his research.