Dendritic cell‐based immunotherapy: A potential therapeutic option for chronic Hepatitis B virus infection

Abstract Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the most common causes of viral hepatitis worldwide. Patients with persistent HBV infection may suffer from liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma or hepatic failure. In this review, we mainly discuss the immunotherapy for HBV infection. At present, drugs against HBV include oral nucleos(t)ide analogues and interferon. It is difficult to achieve the loss of hepatitis B surface antigen which is an ideal treatment endpoint in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) using the currently recommended agents. There is a need for additional effective therapies among which immunotherapy may be a promising option. Dendritic cells (DCs) exert a key role in initiating the adaptive immune response that could determine the outcome of HBV infection. DC‐based immunotherapy has been explored in chronic HBV infection and shows some promising results. We conclude that DC‐based immunotherapy may be a potential therapeutic option for chronic HBV infection.