Targeting immuno-metabolism and anti-viral immune responses in chronic hepatitis B

Excerpt

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB), caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV), is a worldwide burden affecting up to 300 million patients and associated with the development of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) [1]. The approved treatments for CHB patients comprise on nucleos(t)ide analogues (NA) and pegylated interferon-alpha (Peg-IFN) [1]. Whereas NA efficiently suppress replication, they rarely lead to viral eradication and do not fully prevent virus-induced HCC [1]. The use of Peg-IFNα is limited by adverse effects. Therefore, novel treatment approaches for viral cure are needed. Combination therapies targeting the viral life cycle (e.g., RNAi and capsid inhibitors) and activation of the anti-viral immune response (e.g., pattern recognition receptors’ agonists and restoration of T-cell responses) are currently under clinical investigation [1]. …