Strategies to overcome HBV-specific T cell exhaustion: checkpoint inhibitors and metabolic re-programming

Publication date: June 2018Source: Current Opinion in Virology, Volume 30Author(s): Paola Fisicaro, Carolina Boni, Valeria Barili, Diletta Laccabue, Carlo FerrariHBV-specific T cells play a key role in antiviral protection and failure to control HBV is associated with severely dysfunctional T cell responses. Therefore, functional T cell reconstitution represents a potential way to treat chronically infected patients. The growing understanding of the dysregulated transcriptional/epigenetic and metabolic programs underlying T cell exhaustion allows to envisage functional T cell reconstitution strategies based on the combined/sequential use of compounds able to induce decline of antigen load, checkpoint modulation, metabolic and epigenetic reprogramming with possible boosting of functionally restored responses by specific vaccines.

Source: Current Opinion in Virology - July 10, 2018 Category: Virology Source Type: research