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Updated: May 20, 2025

Stem Cell-Derived Viral Ag-Specific T Lymphocytes Suppress HBV Replication in Mice
Published on: September 25, 2019
Extrathymic CD8 and CD4 Double Positive T Cells Presenting Vigorous HBV-Specific Responses Accelerate HBV Clearance
Zhong Fang1,2, Cong Wang3, Chen-Lu Huang1
1Liver Cancer Institute of Zhongshan Hospital and Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Cancer Invasion (Ministry of Education), Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Extrathymic CD4 and CD8 double positive T (DPT) cells increase during acute Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. These DPT cells clear HBV by killing infected cells and may offer a new strategy for treating chronic HBV.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Virology
- Hepatology
Background:
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global health concern.
- CD4+ and CD8+ T cells are vital for clearing acute HBV.
- The role of extrathymic CD4 and CD8 double positive T (DPT) cells in HBV infection remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function and characteristics of extrathymic DPT cells in Hepatitis B virus infection.
- To determine the potential of DPT cells in viral clearance and therapeutic strategies for chronic Hepatitis B.
Main Methods:
- Collected peripheral blood mononuclear cells from hepatitis B patients.
- Established an HBV mouse model using hydrodynamic injection (HDI).
- Analyzed T cell subsets via flow cytometry, in vitro culture, adoptive transfer, and cytotoxicity assays.
Main Results:
- Extrathymic DPT cells were significantly increased in acute HBV patients and HBV model mice.
- These DPT cells exhibited a central memory phenotype, proliferated rapidly, produced cytokines, and migrated to the liver.
- DPT cells demonstrated potent killing of HBV peptide-loaded hepatocytes and accelerated HBV clearance in mice.
Conclusions:
- Extrathymic DPT cells are a crucial immune subset involved in HBV clearance during acute infection.
- DPT cells possess cytotoxic and migratory capabilities relevant to controlling HBV.
- Targeting extrathymic DPT cells may represent a promising therapeutic approach for chronic Hepatitis B.
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