Researchers found out how chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes gradual liver damage, and eradicating the virus remains a daunting challenge.

According to new research published in FEBS Letters, therapy that amplifies the impact of immune cells known as stem cell memory T cells (TSCMs) could be a promising technique for treating HBV.

In the study, investigators identified TSCMs in patients with chronic HBV infection and analysed their effects in an experimental model of HBV.

After introducing TSCMs from patients into the experimental model, the immune cells differentiated into cytotoxic T cells and activated a strong response that resulted in the elimination of HBV-infected liver cells. Therefore, augmenting patients' TSCMs may help the immune system overcome the virus.

"Our hepatitis model may reveal how TSCMs differentiate into cytotoxic T cells and uncover the fate of differentiated T cells. Such information could greatly advance future research on T cell-based therapies," said corresponding author Hiromi Abe-Chayama, PhD, of Hiroshima University, in Japan.