Hepatitis B virus antigen–Human leukocyte antigen class I complex (HBV-HLA-I complex)

The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) antigen–Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I complex is a therapeutic target consisting of viral peptides presented on the surface of hepatocytes by HLA molecules. These complexes are formed when HBV proteins, such as the surface antigen (HBsAg) or core antigen (HBcAg), are processed by the proteasome and loaded onto HLA Class I molecules for presentation to CD8+ T cells (Bertoletti & Ferrari, 2016, PubMed). In patients with chronic HBV or HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), these complexes serve as specific markers for infected or malignant cells, especially since HBV DNA often integrates into the host genome in HCC (Tan et al., 2021, Journal of Hepatology). Therapeutic strategies like TCR-engineered T cells (TCR-T) and bispecific T-cell engagers are designed to bind these complexes with high affinity to trigger a potent cytotoxic response (Qasim et al., 2015, Journal of Hepatology). This approach aims to overcome the T-cell exhaustion typically seen in chronic infection and provide a targeted treatment for liver cancer. However, the risk of severe liver inflammation and the requirement for precise HLA matching remain key challenges in clinical application.

Other names

HBV peptide-MHC complexHBV-pMHCHBV-HLA class I complexHBV-specific pMHCHBV-Ag-HLA-I

Redirection and activation of T-lymphocytes to recognize and eliminate cells presenting HBV-derived peptides via high-affinity binding of engineered TCRs or bispecific antibodies to the peptide-HLA complex.