Viral Hepatitis and Therapeutic Strategies

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccines and Therapeutic Developments".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 November 2025 | Viewed by 63

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 725 West Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Interests: hepatic disorders; chronic hepatitis; chronic liver failure; liver cirrhosis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Viral hepatitis is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. Numerous different strains of viruses can cause hepatitis, including hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E, where hepatitis A-C are the most common infections, while hepatitis D and E occur less frequently. The duration, severity, and treatment options for viral hepatitis particularly depend on the type of pathogen and associated comorbidities. Some individuals may promptly develop fulminant liver failure requiring urgent liver transplantation, while others slowly progress towards end-stage liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Regardless of the significant advancement in the understanding of these infections, the mechanism of pathogenesis remains a complicated and scarcely defined process mediated by complex interactions between the host and the virus, making it difficult to achieve a functional cure. The comprehensive understanding of the host–pathogen interaction dynamics on molecular and cellular levels, the mechanisms of viral entry into the hepatocytes and their replication process, the evasion of the host immune response, and the initiation of hepatocellular damage and its subsequent progression towards end-stage liver disease is really warranted to develop novel and more effective therapeutic strategies to treat every individual, as the current approved treatment modalities show limited efficacy in complete and successful viral eradication. Hence, there is a critical need for newer molecules to achieve a functional cure.

Dr. Arshi Khanam
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • viral hepatitis
  • acute and chronic infections
  • viral pathogenesis and persistence
  • therapeutic strategies

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

16 pages, 297 KiB  
Review
Host Immune Response in Chronic Hepatitis Delta: Implications for Pathogenesis and Therapy
by Arshi Khanam, Abutaleb Ameer, Poonam Mathur, Cihan Yurdaydin and Shyam Kottilil
Pathogens 2025, 14(8), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens14080828 - 21 Aug 2025
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis delta (CHD) represents the most severe form of viral hepatitis due to rapid disease progression towards liver cancer, leading to high morbidity and mortality. Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) can only infect individuals who are infected with hepatitis B. So far, there [...] Read more.
Chronic hepatitis delta (CHD) represents the most severe form of viral hepatitis due to rapid disease progression towards liver cancer, leading to high morbidity and mortality. Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) can only infect individuals who are infected with hepatitis B. So far, there is no cure or vaccine for HDV. Existing treatment options, including pegylated interferon-α and hepatocyte entry inhibitors, offer limited efficacy. Emerging therapeutic strategies are focused on targeting various steps of the HDV life cycle or enhancing the host immune response to promote viral elimination. A defective antiviral immune response is increasingly recognized as a culprit for HDV persistence; however, the precise immunological mechanism associated with disease progression and pathogenesis has not been well defined. This review provides an update on the current understanding of host immune response in CHD, highlighting its role in both disease pathogenesis and viral clearance. A deeper understanding of these immune correlates may lead the way to novel treatment strategies, including immunotherapies targeting host immune response that can be used in combination with other antiviral therapies to achieve more effective and durable treatment outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Viral Hepatitis and Therapeutic Strategies)
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