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Global strategies are required to cure and eliminate HBV infection

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 13, pages 239–248 (2016)Cite this article

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Abstract

Chronic HBV infection results in >1 million deaths per year from cirrhosis and liver cancer. No known cure for chronic HBV exists, due in part to the continued presence of transcriptionally active DNA in the nucleus that is not directly targeted by current antiviral therapies. A coordinated approach is urgently needed to advance an HBV cure worldwide, such as those established in the HIV field. We propose the establishment of an International Coalition to Eliminate Hepatitis B Virus (ICE-HBV) to facilitate the formation of international working groups on HBV virology, immunology, innovative tools and clinical trials: to promote awareness and education as well as to drive changes in government policy and ensure funds are channelled to HBV cure research and drug development. With the ICE-HBV in place, it should be possible to enable a HBV cure within the next decade.

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Figure 1: The structure of ICE-HBV and associated working parties.
Figure 2: The main features of the HBV life cycle and potential antiviral targets30,32,97,98.
Figure 3: Immune modulation in the liver microenvironment81,82,114.

Change history

  • 17 March 2016

    In the version of this article originally published online, the affiliation address for Peter Revill and Stephen Locarnini was incorrect and should have read: Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory, Royal Melbourne Hospital, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Victoria, 3010, Australia. This error has now been corrected for the print, HTML and PDF versions of the article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Victorian Infectious Disease Reference Laboratory, Royal Melbourne Hospital, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, 3010, Victoria, Australia

    Peter Revill & Stephen Locarnini

  2. Cancer Research Center of Lyon, INSERM U1052 and CNRS 5286, Lyon University, and Hospices Civils de Lyon, 151 Cours Albert Thomas, 69003, Lyon, France

    Barbara Testoni & Fabien Zoulim

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All authors contributed equally to all aspects of this manuscript.

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Correspondence to Fabien Zoulim.

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Competing interests

P.R. received research funding from Gilead Sciences. B.T. declares no competing interests. S.L. received research funding from Arrowhead and Gilead Sciences and consultancies from Arrowhead, Gilead Sciences and Janssen. F.Z. received research grants from Assembly Bioscience, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Novira and Roche, and consultancies from Bristol Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, Janssen, Medimmune, Novira, Roche and Tekmira.

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Revill, P., Testoni, B., Locarnini, S. et al. Global strategies are required to cure and eliminate HBV infection. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 13, 239–248 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2016.7

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