Duet of humoral and cellular immunity for conquering HCV

Abstract

HCV poses a global health challenge with 58 million infections worldwide, 1.5 million new annual cases, and 290,000 deaths each year from advanced liver diseases, such as cirrhosis and cancer.[1] In response, the World Health Assembly articulated the Global Health Sector Strategy with the aim of eradicating viral hepatitis by 2030, and the World Health Organization (WHO) set specific targets for the diagnosis, treatment, and reduction of HCV infection and liver-related mortality in 2016. Despite the development of direct-acting antivirals, which are capable of achieving a 95% cure rate, challenges such as low diagnosis rates and cost make it difficult to achieve these goals in many countries, including the United States, before 2050.[2] Of particular concern is the inability to reverse advanced disease with delayed direct-acting antiviral treatment and to prevent reinfection after sustained virologic response, emphasizing the necessity of aneffective HCV vaccine.