The Silent Co-Infections: Understanding HIV/HBV and HIV/HCV Co-infection

December is HIV/AIDS Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness of the impact of HIV/AIDS globally. This month, the team at Policy Connecting Communities utilizes a cultural lens to examine the specific impact HIV has in Minnesota. Over the years, incredible progress has been made in regards to HIV, however individuals living with HIV still carry a much higher risk for other potentially deadly infections such as Hepatitis B and C–this is especially true for minority populations.

Given the disparity in how these viruses are infecting immigrant communities and African-American communities in Minnesota, we wanted to shed light on the work that is being done to better understand the prevalence of these illnesses in the African population, and how equitable research is leading to improved community-based education and intervention. In this episode, we are grateful for the opportunity to have a conversation with a panel of experts from Mayo Clinic about Hepatitis B and C, and their relationship with HIV. 

These three distinguished researchers-providers-educators share their lived experiences growing up in a healthcare system that’s hobbled by a scarcity of resources, and where the intersectionality and comorbidity of liver and auto-immune illnesses has devastating effects.

In addition, we’ll learn about:

• Current data regarding racial disparities in rates of Hepatitis B and C, and HIV,

• Endeavors to ensure equal representation of women and racial ethnic minorities in medical and scientific research and clinical trials.

• Outreach efforts to address cultural and social stigma around illnesses such as Hepatitis B, C and HIV, and

• Community-based networks to provide early detection, early intervention, and early treatment
• Additional Resources, including: the Center for Disease Control, the MN Department of Health, Mayo Clinic, and the local Somali Health Advisory Committee

Dr. Lewis R. Roberts, Consultant; Associate Chair, Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity; and Professor of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic

The major research goal for the Hepatobiliary Cancer Laboratory of Lewis R. Roberts, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., is to understand the mechanisms by which liver and biliary cancers develop, grow and spread. Dr. Roberts’ laboratory is particularly interested in identifying the critical pathways needed for the growth of individual cancers. The laboratory’s second goal is to develop and validate methods for early detection, diagnosis and treatment of primary liver, biliary and pancreas cancers. In support of these goals, Dr. Roberts also coordinates the International Hepatobiliary Neoplasia Registry and Biorepository (IHNB). IHNB is a collaborative effort by many medical centers to collect clinical and risk factor information as well as blood and tissue samples to support research on liver and biliary cancers.

As a clinician, Dr. Roberts’ expertise is in the diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of benign and malignant liver masses, including hepatic adenomas, hepatocellular carcinomas, bile duct cancers (cholangiocarcinomas) and gallbladder cancers.

Dr. Lionel A. Kankeu Fonkoua, Oncologist, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center

Dr. Lionel A. Kankeu Fonkoua is an Assistant Professor of Oncology and Senior Associate Consultant within the Department of Medical Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Originally from Cameroon, he completed his medical training (Medical School and Internal Medicine Residency) at Penn State University College of Medicine/ Penn State Hershey Medical Center, prior to joining Mayo Clinic in July 2018 for subspecialty training in Hematology/Oncology.  He joined the Faculty in July 2021 and specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary cancers, with a research focus on the development of novel combinatorial immunotherapeutic strategies. In addition to his clinical and research activities, Dr. Kankeu Fonkoua is also committed to improving equitable access to care for ALL cancer patients, including the underserved and at-risk populations. He Chairs the Community Engagement & Diversity Council for the Mayo Clinic Hepatobiliary Cancer (HBC) Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) whose mission is to engage more patients with HBC in our local catchment areas and ensure the appropriate representation of underserved and at-risk populations in all aspects of our basic, clinical, translational, and population research. He also serves as Mayo Clinic’s Equity Focused Clinical Investigator (E-FCI) for our National Cancer Institute (NCI) Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network (ETCTN) UM1 grant under the Dana-Farber Lead Academic Organization (LAO).

Dr. Essa Mohammed, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic

Dr. Essa Mohamed is an Assistant Professor of Medicine and has completed his PhD training in Biomedical Sciences under the mentorship of Dr Lewis Roberts. His scientific focus is primarily studying diseases overburdening historically underrepresented populations in clinical research and trials whereby applying principles across the translational spectrum. Part of Dr Mohamed’s work led to various governmental and non-governmental organizations, such as, the WHO to prioritize viral hepatitis infections & liver cancer at a global level. His recent award of the Prestigious Bush Fellowship has enabled Dr Mohamed to engage industry leadership, academia and community stakeholders to develop a pipeline for more representation in clinical trials and medical device development among women and racial/ethnic minorities.”