Hepatitis B vaccines: protective efficacy and therapeutic potential.

Abstract

Worldwide, two billion people have at some time been infected by hepatitis B virus, 370 millions suffer from chronic infection and around one million die each year from HBV-related liver diseases of which liver cancer is the ultimate stage. Vaccination is the measure that is most effective in reducing the global incidence of hepatitis B and hepatitis B vaccines have now been available for over 20 years. The first hepatitis B vaccine was prepared from inactivated hepatitis B surface antigen particles purified from plasma of asymptomatic carriers of hepatitis B virus. Knowledge of the structure and genomic organization of hepatitis B virus has led to development of the first DNA recombinant vaccine. In preventing hepatocellular carcinoma development, hepatitis B virus vaccines are considered as the first available cancer vaccine. HBV vaccines have recently taken on a new role as therapeutic vaccines as an attempt to cure or to control hepatitis B virus infection in persistently infected individuals.

• Authors: M-L Michel, P Tiollais
• Journal: Pathologie-biologie (Pathol Biol (Paris)) Vol. 58 Issue 4 Pg. 288-95 (Aug 2010) ISSN: 1768-3114 [Electronic] France
• PMID: 20382485 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
• Copyright: Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antiviral Agents
• DNA, Viral
• Hepatitis B Surface Antigens
• Hepatitis B Vaccines
• Vaccines, Synthetic

Topics

• Antiviral Agents (therapeutic use)
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (prevention & control, virology)
• DNA, Viral
• Drug Therapy, Combination
• Hepatitis B (drug therapy, immunology, prevention & control)
• Hepatitis B Surface Antigens (immunology)
• Hepatitis B Vaccines (therapeutic use)
• Hepatitis B virus (genetics, immunology)
• Hepatitis B, Chronic (prevention & control)
• Humans
• Liver Neoplasms (prevention & control, virology)
• Vaccines, Synthetic