Novel therapies and potential therapeutic targets in the management of chronic hepatitis B

Antiviral Activity Exerted by Natural Products against Human Viruses

Viral infections are responsible for several chronic and acute diseases in both humans and animals. Despite the incredible progress in human medicine, several viral diseases, such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, respiratory syndromes, and hepatitis, are still associated with high morbidity and mortality rates in humans. Natural products from plants or other organisms are a rich source of structurally novel chemical compounds including antivirals. Indeed, in traditional medicine, many pathological conditions have been treated using plant-derived medicines. Thus, the identification of novel alternative antiviral agents is of critical importance. In this review, we summarize novel phytochemicals with antiviral activity against human viruses and their potential application in treating or preventing viral disease.

Prevention of Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Liver Cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the five leading causes of cancer death in human. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most common etiologic agent of HCC in the world. Prevention is the best way to control cancer. There are three levels of liver cancer prevention, i.e., primary prevention by HBV vaccination targeting the general population starting from birth dose, secondary prevention by antiviral agent for high-risk subjects with chronic HBV infection, and tertiary prevention by antiviral agent to prevent recurrence for patients who have been successfully treated for liver cancer. Primary prevention by hepatitis B vaccination is most cost effective, the cancer preventive efficacy support it as the first successful example of cancer preventive vaccine in human. Addition of hepatitis B immunoglobulin immediately after birth and antiviral agent during the third trimester of pregnancy to block mother-to-infant transmission of HBV are existing or possible emerging strategies to enhance the prevention efficacy of HBV infection and its related liver cancer. Secondary prevention with current antiviral agents may reduce the risk or delay the onset of HCC development, but could not eradicate HBV infection and HCC. Better antiviral therapeutic agents are needed for better secondary prevention.

MicroRNA Profile in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Hepatitis B Virus Infected Patients

INTRODUCTION AND AIM

The pathogenesis of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related liver diseases remains not fully understood. Here, we aim to explore the potential roles of dysregulated miRNAs in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and HBV-related acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

MiRNA microarray was conducted in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) obtained from healthy donors or patients with CHB or ACLF. Altered expression of miRNAs was further confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis. Finally, the differentially expressed miRNAs and their target genes were subjected to bioinformatics analysis.

RESULTS

The miRNA microarray identified 45 up-regulated and 62 down-regulated miRNAs with a fold change ≥ 1.5. Expression of eight miRNAs was validated using qRT-PCR analysis, which was consistent with miRNA microarray analysis. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that multiple biological processes and signaling pathways were affected by these miRNAs and a miRNA-gene regulatory network was generated with Cytoscape.

CONCLUSION

The current study provided a global view of miRNA expression in PBMCs from CHB and ACLF patients. Functional analysis showed that multiple biological processes and signaling pathways were modulated by these miRNAs. These data provide intriguing insights into the molecular pathogenesis of HBVrelated liver diseases, which deserve further investigation.