Adoptive T-cell therapy for HBV-associated HCC and HBV infection

Abstract Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major global concern due to its high prevalence and the increased probability of progressing toward cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). While currently available therapies are effective in controlling HBV replication, they rarely achieve functional cure. Similarly, effective treatment options for HBV-related HCC (HBV-HCC) are limited and primarily applicable only for early stages of the disease. With the general success of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell immunotherapy against B-cell leukemia, adoptively transferring engineered autologous T cells specific for HBV or HCC antigens might represent a promising therapeutic approach for both chronic HBV infection and HBV-HCC. This review will describe the novel T cell-related immunotherapies being developed for both indications and discuss the approach of each strategy, their considerations and limitations when applied for treatment of chronic HBV infection (CHB) and HBV-HCC.