本实验室的研究兴趣集中于重要病毒感染的分子机制及其防治。近年来，我们主要致力于乙肝病毒（HBV）研究。乙型肝炎是危害人类健康的严重传染病。全球估计有HBV感染者2.4亿人，其中我国约有9300万人。慢性HBV感染是导致肝硬化、肝癌的重要病因。丁型肝炎病毒（HDV）是HBV的卫星病毒,在所有HBV感染者中，约有1500万人同时感染HDV。我们发现HBV及HDV感染肝细胞的关键受体是钠离子-牛磺胆酸共转运蛋白（NTCP）；稳定表达人NTCP的HepG2细胞系(HepG2-NTCP)已成为HBV相关基础病毒学研究和抗病毒药物研发的重要平台。目前，对乙肝感染的科学研究及药物开发已进入一个充满生机的新时代。本实验室综合运用病毒学，生物化学，免疫学，化学生物学等多学科方法深入剖析HBV及HDV感染过程的分子基础，以帮助理解其病理机制。我们也希望研发新的抗病毒药物，为最终有效解除患者的病痛而努力。此外，我们也与相关实验室合作研究NTCP/胆酸等分子在感染及机体代谢过程中的相关作用。

Our laboratory is interested in studying molecular mechanisms of viral infection and developing antiviral interventions. We’ve been focused on hepatitis B virus (HBV) in recent years. HBV infection remains a public health problem. About 240 million people are infected by HBV worldwide and among them 93 million are in China. Chronic HBV infection is a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatitis D virus (HDV), a satellite of HBV, infects 15 million people among those infected by HBV. We identified sodium taurocholatecotransporting polypeptide (NTCP), a liver bile acid transporter, as a crucial receptor for viral infection of HBV and HDV; Human hepatoma HepG2 cell complemented with human NTCP (HepG2-NTCP) has become an important platform for studying HBV basic virology and developing antivirals. The field is entering into a new era of vibrant research of the virus and towards developing a cure for the infection. Our laboratory combines virology, biochemistry, immunology, and chemical biology to investigate molecular mechanisms of HBV/HDV infection. Our research will help to elucidate the pathogenesis of the viruses and to develop new drugs for the treatment of the infection and associated diseases. We also collaborate with other colleagues to study NTCP/bile acids for their roles in the infection and related metabolic process.