Dominance of cytolytic effector functions in hepatitis B virus-specific CD8+ T cell and NK cell mediated antiviral efficacy using hepatitis B virus infected hepatocytes overexpres…

It is well accepted that virus-specific CD8+ T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis and clearance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. However, so far little is known about the relative contribution of cytolytic versus non-cytolytic effector mechanisms to the inhibition of viral replication due to the lack of suitable cell culture models. Recently, hepatoma cells transduced with the HBV entry receptor human sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (hNTCP) were found to be susceptible to HBV. Thus, for the first time, this model allows the in vitro analysis of the interplay of virus-specific CD…