Recent Progress on Neutralizing Antibodies against Hepatitis B Virus and its Implications.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global health problem. As "cure" for chronic hepatitis B is of current priority, hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) has been utilized for several decades to provide post-exposure prophylaxis. In recent years, a number of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting HBV have been developed and demonstrated with high affinity, specificity, and neutralizing potency.

OBJECTIVE: HBV neutralizing antibodies may play potentially significant role in the search for an HBV cure. In this review, we will summarize the recently progress in developing HBV-neutralizing antibodies, describe their characteristics and potential clinical applications.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: HBV neutralizing antibodies could be a promising alternative in the prevention and treatment of HBV infection. More importantly, global collaboration and coordinated approaches are thus needed to facilitate the development of novel therapies for HBV infection.