Gut: Scientists identify special memory NK cells that could help improve vaccine and treatment strategies to fight HBV infection

JUNE 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a recent study published in the international journal Gut, scientists from the Westmead Institute of Medicine and other institutions have discovered for the first time a new class of special human cell subgroups that are involved in the body's immune response to HBV infection, and the results may help scientists develop new treatments for hepatitis B virus infection and improve future vaccinesPhoto Source: The Westmead Institute for Medical Research (WIMR) The current hepatitis B vaccine is able to prevent late-stage hepatitis B virus infection through the body's immune memory, when the body is exposed to hBV, the vaccine can "train" the immune system to eliminate the virus; For this purpose, the researchers analyzed the characteristics of NK cells in people who had been vaccinated against hepatitis B or had been infected with the virus, and compared them to people who had not been exposed to hBV, and researcher Ratna Wijaya said, "We found for the first time that memory NK cells (mNKs) occur when the human body is exposed to HBV, and this study is important because it helps researchers understand the molecular mechanisms that the body does to fight HBV infection after vaccination." Previously, researchers believe dating back to NK cells as part of the body's congenital immune response, the body's congenital immune system will resist all foreign antigens, including viruses, rather than specific targeting specific antigens, and now researchers have confirmed that NK cells in the human body can obtain immune memory and specifically target cells infected with HBV in subsequent infectionsHepatitis B virus is a virus that attacks the liver, and although some infected people can eliminate the virus in the body, for some people infected with HBV at an early age, it develops into chronic HBV infection; Without proper treatment, chronic HBV infection can lead to serious complications, including liver cancer, cirrhosis and chronic liver failure, so preventing such infections is especially important, the researchers saidThe researchers hope that in the future scientists will be able to use the antiviral properties of mNKs to develop new therapies and vaccine strategies to fight HBV infection, helping more individuals to effectively fight hBV infection(BioValleyBioon.com) Original origins: Ratna S Wijaya, Scott A Read, Naomi R Truong, et alHBV and HBV infection ethia d'AttHHHS HBV-specific natural killer celly, Gut (2020)DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319252