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Circumventing failed antiviral immunity in chronic hepatitis B virus infection: triggering virus-specific or innate-like T cell response?

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Abstract

Therapeutic vaccination for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B has thus far been unsatisfactory. In this review, we discuss potential new therapeutic vaccination strategies and other immunotherapeutic approaches that aim to achieve efficient restoration of HBV immunity in chronically infected patients.

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Acknowledgments

This work was partially supported by a Singapore Research Translational Investigator (NMRC/STAR/013/2012) to Antonio Bertoletti.

Conflict of interest

AB declares the following relationship with commercial entities developing immune therapeutics for HBV treatment. AB collaborates and receives research support from Gilead and Janssen to test the effect of HBV antigens on immune cell function and TLR agonists in intrahepatic immune cells. AB also participates in Advisory Boards on HBV immune therapy for Gilead, Janseen, Hoffman-La Roche, ISIS, Medimmune.

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  1. Viral Hepatitis Unit, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore

    Sarene Koh & Antonio Bertoletti

  2. Program in Emerging Viral Diseases, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore

    Antonio Bertoletti

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  1. Sarene Koh
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  2. Antonio Bertoletti
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Correspondence to Sarene Koh.

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This article is part of the special issue “Therapeutic vaccination in chronic hepatitis B—approaches, problems, and new perspectives.”

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Koh, S., Bertoletti, A. Circumventing failed antiviral immunity in chronic hepatitis B virus infection: triggering virus-specific or innate-like T cell response?. Med Microbiol Immunol 204, 87–94 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00430-014-0377-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00430-014-0377-7

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