Immunotherapy of chronic hepatitis B by anti HBV vaccine: from present to future

Chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infection are among the most serious human health p roblems in highly endemic regions. Current therapeutic approaches to contro l chronic hepatitis such as interferon-alpha and lamivudine are unsatisfact ory. Vaccination would be the therapeutic procedure with the lowest cost an d the potentially greatest benefit. The immunogenicity of selected HBV enve lope- or capsid-based vaccine formulations for the induction or the broaden ing of T and B cell responses, deficient in HBV chronic carriers, are curre ntly under study in animal models and in clinical trials. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.