To mark World Hepatitis Day on 28 July, the Journal of the International AIDS Society (JIAS) has published a viewpoint, titled “Opportunities and challenges for hepatitis B cure in people living with HIV and hepatitis B virus”, authored by Kasha P Singh, Jennifer Audsley, Wei Zhao and Sharon R Lewin.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer, with chronic hepatitis B affecting over 250 million people worldwide [1]. While effective antiviral treatments are available, they often require lifelong use, highlighting the critical need for a cure. People living with HIV are disproportionately affected by HBV, with around 7% also living with chronic hepatitis B [2]. This overlap presents a set of unique challenges and opportunities to advance the development of a cure for hepatitis B.
In the viewpoint, the authors explore these challenges and opportunities, noting that antiretroviral therapy targeting both HIV and HBV has been associated with a functional HBV cure in some individuals. They emphasize that understanding the mechanisms underlying this response could offer valuable insights for the development of effective HBV cure strategies. However, they also highlight that people living with HIV are frequently excluded from HBV cure trials, and advocate for future studies to prioritize this population. As they affirm, “People living with HIV and HBV co-infection should not be left behind in the journey towards an HBV or an HIV cure.”
References
1. World Health Organization. Global hepatitis report, 2024. https://www.who.int/publications/b/68511
2. World Health Organization. Global progress report on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections, 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240027077
The Journal of the International AIDS Society is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal, which publishes HIV-related research from various disciplines and particularly encourages submissions in implementation sciences.
Access the viewpoint here.
Source : JIAS
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