title: Elimination of Hepatitis B: Is It a Mission Possible?
abstract: Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health issue. Although the disease cannot be cured effectively, disease management has been improved over the past decade. The introduction of potent nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) to suppress viral replication represented a giant leap in the control of this disease. It has been shown that tenofovir treatment, a potent NA, complements current immunoprophylaxis to diminish mother-to-infant transmission in pregnant women with a high viral load. For patients with chronic HBV infection, quantitative hepatitis B surface antigen is a useful tool to define inactive carriers and to guide antiviral therapy. Quantification of HBV mutants is also useful in predicting long-term outcomes more precisely than ever. The next challenge is how to achieve an HBV cure; although immunotherapy is a promising strategy, the current results from two clinical trials using therapeutic vaccines to induce HBV-specific immune response in patients with chronic HBV infection are disappointing. In the coming years, we are expecting to see a combination of therapeutic agents with various modes of action to complete the mission of HBV elimination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Jinshan Branch, New Taipei City, Taiwan.|Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tai-Chung
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. kaojh@ntu.edu.tw.|Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 1 Chang-Te St., Taipei, 10002, Taiwan. kaojh@ntu.edu.tw.|Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. kaojh@ntu.edu.tw.|Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. kaojh@ntu.edu.tw.
authors.forename: Jia-Horng
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2442-7952
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kao
mesh_terms: D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D019562:Viral Load
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents
keywords: Chronic hepatitis B; HBV; HBsAg; Immunotherapy