title: New perspectives for hepatitis B vaccines and immunization.
abstract: Present efforts of HBV vaccine research are aimed at defining targeted antigen compositions and adjuvancy systems for earlier and broader immune responses and optimization of immunotherapeutic approaches. We have demonstrated the applicability of the WHV/Marmota monax model for the evaluation of immunogenicity and protection of new formulations of HBV vaccines for human use. Protective activity was evaluated following the administrations of HBV CHO-PreS/S and adjuvanted S/Core vaccines. The administration of a complex constituted by HBV derived woodchuck PreS/S antibodies coupled with WHV particles was able to induce inhibition of viral replication. Future studies on treatment of HBV chronic infection should be addressed to the evaluation of therapies combined with antivirals, vaccines and immunomodulatory compounds.
authors.affiliation: Viral Hepatitis Unit, Department of Infectious, Parasitic and Immune-Mediated Disease, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. rapicett@iss.it
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rapicetta
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: D'Ugo
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Argentini
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Catone
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Canitano
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giuseppetti
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gluck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000097:blood; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D007114:Immunization; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008392:Marmota; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D006510:Hepatitis B Antibodies; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D019259:Lamivudine