Clinical cure strategies for hepatitis B: direct-acting antiviral drugs

VernacularTitle:乙型肝炎临床治愈策略：直接抗病毒药物
Author: Ailong HUANG ¹ ; Zhenghong YUAN ; Yuemin NAN ; Dongliang YANG ; Jutao GUO ; Wenhui LI
Author Information

1. 重庆医科大学病毒性肝炎研究所暨感染性疾病分子生物学教育部重点实验室　400016
Keywords: Hepatitis B; Direct-acting antiviralagents; Covalently closed circular DNA
From: Chinese Journal of Hepatology 2020;28(8):640-644
CountryChina
Language:Chinese
Abstract: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) play a critical role for the therapy of chronical hepatitis B. DAAs can decrease the production of viral progeny of hepatitis B virus (HBV), breaking the viral dynamic equilibrium between: (1) virion production from hepatocytes and clearance from circulation; (2) replenishment and decay of covalently closed circular (ccc)DNA pool inside infected hepatocytes. Nucleos(t)ide analogues can potently shift the first balance to undetectable viremia in the blood, but have limited or no effect on the second one, thus making it imperative to develop new agents targeting additional step(s) of HBV life cycle. We herein briefly introduce the DAAs currently in development by classifying them as agents affecting the replenishment or the decay of cccDNA pool.