Hepatitis B virus surface antigen mRNA and other HBV transcripts (HBV mRNA)

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen mRNA and other HBV transcripts are essential intermediates in the viral life cycle, transcribed from the viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) or integrated viral DNA (Source: NIH/NCBI). These transcripts include the pregenomic RNA (pgRNA), which serves as the template for reverse transcription, and various subgenomic mRNAs that encode viral proteins such as the surface antigen (HBsAg), core protein, and X protein (Source: UniProt). HBsAg, in particular, plays a major role in suppressing the host immune response, contributing to the persistence of chronic infection (Source: PubMed/PMID: 32653401). Therapeutic strategies targeting these RNAs, such as RNA interference (RNAi) and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), aim to degrade the transcripts and prevent the synthesis of all viral proteins (Source: Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology). By significantly reducing the viral protein burden, these therapies seek to restore the host's immune system and achieve a functional cure, characterized by sustained HBsAg loss and undetectable HBV DNA (Source: GSK/NEJM). This approach is distinct from nucleos(t)ide analogs, which primarily inhibit DNA synthesis but do not directly reduce HBsAg production (Source: StatPearls).

Other names

HBV RNAHepatitis B virus transcriptsHBsAg mRNAPregenomic RNApgRNAHBV pre-C/C mRNAHBV X mRNA

RNA interference (RNAi) and antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) mediated degradation of viral RNA transcripts, leading to reduced translation of viral proteins and inhibition of viral replication.