Current treatments for chronic hepatitis B virus infections.
Over 240 million people worldwide are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and although a prophylactic vaccine and effective antiviral therapies are available, no cure exists. Curative regimens are urgently needed because up to one million deaths per year are caused by HBV-related liver cancer and end-stage liver disease. HBV is an hepatotropic virus which belongs to the Hepadnaviridae family and replicates its DNA genome via a reverse transcriptase mechanism. Effective therapies have been developed for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection in the last two decades. They rely on the use of interferon alpha and its pegylated formulation, and on nucleos(t)ide analogs that inhibit viral polymerase activity. Their results are discussed in this review as well as future perspectives.
Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon 69008, France; INSERM, U1052, Lyon 69003, France; University of Lyon, UMR_S1052, UCBL, 69008 Lyon, France; Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), 69002 Lyon, France; Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), 75005 Paris, France. Electronic address: fabien.zoulim@inserm.fr.
Fabien
F
Zoulim
Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon 69008, France; INSERM, U1052, Lyon 69003, France; University of Lyon, UMR_S1052, UCBL, 69008 Lyon, France.
Fanny
F
Lebossé
Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon 69008, France; INSERM, U1052, Lyon 69003, France; Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), 69002 Lyon, France; DMISM and CLNS IIT Sapienza, Sapienza University Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy.
Massimo
M
Levrero
D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D004279:DNA, Viral; D016898:Interferon-alpha; C571406:PEG-IFN-SA; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols