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Updated: Apr 11, 2026

A Competent Hepatocyte Model Examining Hepatitis B Virus Entry through Sodium Taurocholate Cotransporting Polypeptide as a Therapeutic Target
Published on: May 10, 2022
Sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide in HBV-related diseases: from underlying mechanisms to targeted
Qiang Xie1, Qingbo Liu2, Xin Zheng3
1School of Preclinical Medicine and School of Nursing, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610100, China.
Abstract:
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a leading cause of liver fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, posing a major global health burden. Current therapies, including interferons and nucleotide analogs, have limited curative efficacy. The identification of sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) as the functional HBV entry receptor in 2012 was a pivotal advance, spurring intensive development of NTCP‑targeted entry inhibitors, although only two macromolecular candidates have progressed toward clinical application. In this review, we comprehensively summarize NTCP structure and function in HBV‑related liver disease and critically evaluate current NTCP‑directed antiviral strategies, with the aim of informing the rational design of next‑generation therapeutics.
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