Interferon-based treatment as adjuvant therapy for hepatitis C virus vaccine candidates against chronic infection
Abstract
Therapeutic vaccine candidates against hepatitis C virus infection have demonstrated immunogenicity, but none of them have been able to induce complete viral elimination. Reviewed evidence shows hepatitis C virus-specific T cell exhaustion as a major obstacle for the immune containment of the virus. The possibility that hepatitis C virus-specific T cells may be rescued from exhaustion by interferon-based treatment makes this therapy a promising candidate to combine with hepatitis C virus-specific therapeutic vaccine interventions. This review summarizes the main effects of interferon-based therapy on hepatitis C virus-specific cellular immune response in chronic patients and, focuses on its potential to favorably impact the performance of therapeutic vaccine approaches for sustained viral clarification.
