Approximately 500 million individuals are chronically infected with hepatitis B or C virus (HBV or HCV). Chronic hepatitis B or C can cause liver inflammation, cirrhosis, and ultimately hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Advances in basic science regarding the HCV life cycle contributed to the development of direct-acting antivirals, allowing viral elimination in the large majority of currently treated patients. A major challenge for future research is the development of an HCV-specific vaccination. The HBV life cycle involves the integration of viral cccDNA into the nucleolus of the hepatocytes. Due to this reservoir of persistence, viral elimination is rarely achieved during chronic HBV infection. Aim of antiviral therapy based on pegylated interferon-alfa or nucleoside / nucleotide analogues is a sustained viral control. The recent identification of the HBV cell receptor as well immunomodulatory strategies may help to optimize HBV therapy and eventually allow viral elimination.
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