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Hepatitis B virus receptors and molecular drug targets

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Abstract

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. Virus-induced diseases include cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current therapeutic strategies may at best control infection without reaching cure. Complementary antiviral strategies aimed at viral cure are therefore urgently needed. HBV entry is the first step of the infection cycle, which leads to the formation of cccDNA and the establishment of chronic infection. Viral entry may thus represent an attractive target for antiviral therapy. This review summarizes the molecular virology and cell biology of HBV entry, including the discovery and development of new HBV entry inhibitors, and discusses their potential in future treatment of HBV infection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Inserm, U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Université de Strasbourg, 3 Rue Koeberlé, 67000, Strasbourg, France

    Eloi R. Verrier, Che C. Colpitts & Thomas F. Baumert

  2. Université de Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France

    Eloi R. Verrier, Che C. Colpitts & Thomas F. Baumert

  3. INTS, Laboratoire de Virologie Moléculaire, 75015, Paris, France

    Camille Sureau

  4. Pôle Hépato-digestif, Nouvel Hôpital Civil, Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire, 67000, Strasbourg, France

    Thomas F. Baumert

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  1. Eloi R. Verrier
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  2. Che C. Colpitts
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  3. Camille Sureau
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  4. Thomas F. Baumert
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Correspondence to Thomas F. Baumert.

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Funding

This work was supported by Inserm, University of Strasbourg, the European Union (EU-INTERREG-IV-Rhin Supérieur-FEDER Hepato-Regio-Net 2012; ERC-2008-AdG-233130-HEPCENT; FP7 305600 HepaMab; EU Infect-Era hepBccc; EU H2020 HEPCAR; ERC-2014-AdG-671231-HEPCIR), ANRS (2012/318, 2013/108) and the French Cancer Agency (ARC IHU201301187). This work has been published under the framework of the LABEX ANR-10-LAB-28 and benefits from a funding from the state managed by the French National Research Agency as part of the Investments for the future program. CCC was supported by a fellowship from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (201411MFE-338606-245517).

Conflict of interest

Eloi R. Verrier, Che C. Colpitts, Camille Sureau and Thomas F. Baumert declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by any of the authors.

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Verrier, E.R., Colpitts, C.C., Sureau, C. et al. Hepatitis B virus receptors and molecular drug targets. Hepatol Int 10, 567–573 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12072-016-9718-5

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