Liu T, Wang H, Zhao Y, Wang YX, Xing X, Gao P. Drug development for chronic hepatitis B functional cure: Recent progress. World J Hepatol 2025; 17(4): 105797 [DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i4.105797]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Peng Gao, PhD, Professor, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 467 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116021, Liaoning Province, China. gaop@dmu.edu.cn
Research Domain of This Article
Infectious Diseases
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Ting Liu, He Wang, Ying-Xin Wang, Xue Xing, Peng Gao, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116021, Liaoning Province, China
Yue Zhao, Graduate School Base Office, Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116000, Liaoning Province, China
Co-first authors: Ting Liu and He Wang.
Co-corresponding authors: Xue Xing and Peng Gao.
Author contributions: Liu T conceived and designed the study; Zhao Y and Wang YX conducted the data collection; Liu T and Wang H wrote the manuscript; Xing X and Gao P critically reviewed the manuscript. All authors have read and approved the manuscript. Liu T and Wang H contributed equally to this work as co-first authors. Professor Gao P has long been engaged in the study of the molecular mechanisms of antiviral drugs, providing theoretical guidance for the mechanistic exploration in this review. Professor Xing X, with her extensive experience as a clinical laboratory expert, is well-versed in the integration of clinical hepatitis B data and the evaluation of therapeutic efficacy, ensuring that the content is closely aligned with clinical needs. Both professors were fully involved in the design of the review structure, revision of the core arguments and review of academic disputes, and they jointly take responsibility for the scientific rigor and authority of the review.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no competing interests.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Peng Gao, PhD, Professor, Department of Clinical Laboratory, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, No. 467 Zhongshan Road, Dalian 116021, Liaoning Province, China. gaop@dmu.edu.cn
Received: February 8, 2025 Revised: March 21, 2025 Accepted: April 9, 2025 Published online: April 27, 2025 Processing time: 77 Days and 5 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: As we know, chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can lead to liver failure and cirrhosis, resulting in significantly increased morbidity and mortality rates. Current antiviral nucleos(t)ide analogues suppress HBV replication but are limited in reducing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels. Interferon alpha, an immunomodulator, is restricted by safety concerns and adverse reactions. New drug development aims for a functional cure, defined as HBsAg clearance and sustained HBV DNA suppression. This review highlights recent advancements in novel therapies targeting HBV, including HBsAg entry inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, transcription inhibitors, and immunomodulatory agents like TLR-7/8 agonists, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and therapeutic vaccines.
