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Immune therapies against chronic hepatitis B

Sheikh Mohammad Fazle Akbar1, Osamu Yoshida2, Yoichi Hiasa2

  • 1Department of Gastroenterology and Metabology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Shitsukawa 454, Toon City, Ehime, 791-0295, Japan. sheikhmohammadfazle@gmail.com.

Journal of Gastroenterology
|June 16, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients require new treatments as antivirals are insufficient. Immune therapies show promise for treating hepatitis B virus (HBV) persistence and liver damage, despite challenges.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Immunology
  • Virology

Background:

  • Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) poses significant health risks, including liver cirrhosis and cancer.
  • Current antiviral treatments for hepatitis B virus (HBV) cannot fully eradicate the virus or prevent disease progression in many patients.
  • Immune dysregulations are implicated in HBV persistence and liver damage, suggesting immunotherapy as a potential treatment strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the pros and cons of various immune therapies used for CHB over the past 30 years.
  • To provide insights for developing effective, evidence-based, and patient-friendly immune treatment regimens for CHB.
  • To address the unmet need for novel therapeutics in CHB management.

Main Methods:

  • Review of clinical trials and scientific literature on immune therapies for CHB from the early 1990s to the present.
  • Analysis of the safety and efficacy of different immunotherapeutic agents and protocols.
  • Discussion of molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying CHB pathogenesis and immune responses.

Main Results:

  • Despite extensive research and hundreds of clinical trials, an optimal immune therapy regimen for CHB has not yet been established.
  • Most immune therapeutic agents demonstrate good safety profiles in patients.
  • Several immune therapy protocols have shown encouraging results, fostering optimism for future treatments.

Conclusions:

  • Immune therapy remains a critical area of research for CHB, offering a potential alternative or adjunct to antiviral therapy.
  • Further research is needed to overcome existing challenges and develop a universally acceptable immune therapy regimen.
  • The insights gained from 30 years of immune therapy research are crucial for advancing CHB treatment strategies.

Keywords:
Antigen-specific immunotherapyChronic hepatitis BCombination therapyImmune therapyPolyclonal immune modulators

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