Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle
09:35

Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle

Published on: February 1, 2017

Emerging therapeutics for chronic hepatitis B

Mark E Mailliard1, John L Gollan

  • 1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska 68198, USA. mmaillia@unmc.edu

Annual Review of Medicine
|January 18, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) management involves antiviral therapies to suppress hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication. Treatment selection balances efficacy, durability, and potential adverse effects of medications like interferon and nucleoside analogs.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Virology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is a significant global health concern.
  • Patients with CHB face a high risk of developing liver cirrhosis.
  • Effective management strategies are crucial for preventing disease progression.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current therapeutic advances for chronic hepatitis B.
  • To discuss the selection criteria for antiviral therapy in CHB patients.
  • To evaluate the efficacy, durability, and limitations of available treatment options.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on CHB antiviral therapies.
  • Analysis of treatment outcomes for pegylated interferon alpha and nucleoside/nucleotide analogs (lamivudine, adefovir, entecavir).
  • Discussion of patient selection based on viral replication, liver enzymes, and histology.

Main Results:

  • Pegylated interferon alpha offers immunomodulatory and antiviral benefits with potential durability but has side effects and high cost.
  • Nucleoside/nucleotide analogs effectively suppress HBV replication with good tolerability, but often require long-term or lifelong treatment.
  • Viral resistance is a frequent issue with lamivudine; newer analogs show less resistance.
  • Combination therapy approaches show promise but require further validation.

Conclusions:

  • Antiviral therapy can achieve long-term suppression of HBV replication and occasional durable remission.
  • Treatment choice depends on balancing drug efficacy, side effect profiles, cost, and potential for viral resistance.
  • Further research is needed to optimize combination therapies for CHB management.

More Related Videos

Stem Cell-Derived Viral Ag-Specific T Lymphocytes Suppress HBV Replication in Mice07:25

Stem Cell-Derived Viral Ag-Specific T Lymphocytes Suppress HBV Replication in Mice

Published on: September 25, 2019

A Competent Hepatocyte Model Examining Hepatitis B Virus Entry through Sodium Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide as a Therapeutic Target11:34

A Competent Hepatocyte Model Examining Hepatitis B Virus Entry through Sodium Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide as a Therapeutic Target

Published on: May 10, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow01:26

Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow

Chronic liver disease significantly impacts drug metabolism due to alterations in hepatic blood flow and enzyme accessibility. This disruption affects the body's pharmacokinetics—the movement and processing of drugs within the system. Key enzymes crucial for metabolizing medications become less accessible, changing how drugs are processed and utilized. Furthermore, liver disease influences the synthesis of plasma proteins, such as albumin and globulins, which play critical roles in drug binding...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test01:22

Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Pathophysiologic Assessment and Liver Function Test

In clinical practice, the direct measurement of hepatic blood flow to evaluate liver function presents significant challenges due to the intricate and specialized nature of the necessary techniques. Consequently, healthcare professionals often rely on empirical estimates derived from thorough patient examinations and liver function tests to gauge liver health. Among the tools at their disposal, the Child–Pugh and MELD scoring systems stand out for their ability to categorize and assess the...
Hepatitis01:25

Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver most commonly caused by hepatotropic viruses (A–E), though non-infectious causes such as alcohol and drugs also exist.Hepatitis AHepatitis A virus (HAV) is a non-enveloped RNA virus of the Picornaviridae family. It is primarily transmitted via the fecal-oral route, typically through ingestion of contaminated food or water. After ingestion, HAV enters the bloodstream through the oropharynx or intestinal epithelium and reaches the liver. The...
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis01:30

Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis

Protein synthesis is indispensable for viral replication, as viruses lack the cellular machinery required for this process and must hijack the host's translational apparatus. In response, host cells deploy a critical innate immune defense involving interferons, specialized cytokines that play a central role in inhibiting viral propagation.Upon viral detection, infected cells release interferons that bind to receptors on adjacent uninfected cells, activating the JAK-STAT signaling pathway and...
Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction01:28

Viral Hepatitis I: Introduction

Viral hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver caused by infection with hepatotropic viruses, most commonly hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Despite variations in structure and transmission, all viruses mentioned infect hepatocytes and provoke immune responses that can hinder liver function. Additionally, some non-hepatotropic viruses can also lead to hepatic inflammation.Hepatitis A VirusHepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through the fecal–oral route, typically by ingestion of food...
Cirrhosis I: Introduction01:23

Cirrhosis I: Introduction

Cirrhosis is a chronic, irreversible liver disease characterized by the widespread replacement of healthy liver tissue with fibrotic scar tissue and the formation of regenerative nodules.Etiology of cirrhosisCirrhosis results from sustained liver injury that triggers progressive fibrosis and structural remodeling. The underlying causes are diverse, encompassing common and less frequent clinical conditions. Regardless of the origin, all causes lead to chronic inflammation, hepatocyte loss, and...