Adenoviral Vectors: Potential as Anti-HBV Vaccines and Therapeutics

Tasneem Farhad; Keila Neves; Patrick Arbuthnot; Mohube Betty Maepa

doi:10.3390/genes13111941

Adenoviral Vectors: Potential as Anti-HBV Vaccines and Therapeutics

Genes (Basel). 2022 Oct 25;13(11):1941. doi: 10.3390/genes13111941.

Authors

Tasneem Farhad¹, Keila Neves¹, Patrick Arbuthnot¹, Mohube Betty Maepa¹

Affiliation

¹ Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2000, South Africa.

Abstract

Adenoviral vaccines have been at the front line in the fight against pandemics caused by viral infections such as Ebola and the coronavirus disease 2019. This has revived an interest in developing these vectors as vaccines and therapies against other viruses of health importance such as hepatitis B virus (HBV). Current hepatitis B therapies are not curative; hence, chronic hepatitis B remains the major risk factor for development of liver disease and death in HBV-infected individuals. The ability to induce a robust immune response and high liver transduction efficiency makes adenoviral vectors attractive tools for anti-HBV vaccine and therapy development, respectively. This review describes recent developments in designing adenoviral-vector-based therapeutics and vaccines against HBV infection.

Keywords: adenovirus; gene therapy; hepatitis B virus; vaccine; viral vectors.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19*
Genetic Vectors / genetics
Hepatitis B virus / genetics
Hepatitis B* / genetics
Hepatitis B* / prevention & control
Hepatitis B, Chronic*
Humans
Viral Vaccines*

Substances

Viral Vaccines

Grants and funding

Research in the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit is supported by the South African National Research Foundation (Unique Grant Numbers: 120383), the Poliomyelitis Research Foundation, the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) through its Division of Research Capacity Development under the Research Capacity Development Initiative from funding received from the South African National Treasury, and extramural unit baseline funding from the South African Medical Research Council. The content and findings reported/illustrated are the sole deduction, view, and responsibility of the researcher and do not reflect the official position and sentiments of the SAMRC.