Knockdown of Virus Antigen Expression Increases Therapeutic Vaccine Efficacy in High-Titer Hepatitis B Virus Carrier Mice.

Background & Aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection persists because the virus-specific immune response is dysfunctional. Therapeutic vaccines might be used to end immune tolerance to the virus in patients with chronic infection, but these have not been effective in patients so far. In patients with chronic HBV infection, high levels of virus antigens might prevent induction of HBV-specific immune responses.