Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is one of the major etiologic agents of human viral hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). According to WHO, there are currently more than 250 million people who are chronically infected with HBV worldwide, with more than 780,000 deaths per year. Despite the availability of the commercial anti-hepatitis B vaccine, its three-dose schedule of intramuscular injections is often not achievable in populations of high endemicity for HBV, it has a 10-15% rate of non-responders, and it is ineffective in limiting viral replication in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Since cellular immunity is essential for an effective immune response against viral infections by promoting the elimination of virus-infected cells, it is desirable to develop antiviral vaccines capable of inducing a cell-mediated immune response that complements the antibody-mediated immune response. Genetic vaccines represent one of the best immunization alternatives as they are capable of inducing both humoral and cellular immune responses. The focus of our research group is focused on the development of subunit and genetic vaccine formulations that are transported by nanoparticle-based delivery systems in order to generate anti-HBV specific T-cell responses that complements the specific humoral immune response.
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