Therapeutic potential of co-signaling receptor modulation in hepatitis B.

Abstract

Reversing CD8⁺ T cell dysfunction is crucial in treating chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, yet specific molecular targets remain unclear. Our study analyzed co-signaling receptors during hepatocellular priming and traced the trajectory and fate of dysfunctional HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells. Early on, these cells upregulate PD-1, CTLA-4, LAG-3, OX40, 4-1BB, and ICOS. While blocking co-inhibitory receptors had minimal effect, activating 4-1BB and OX40 converted them into antiviral effectors. Prolonged stimulation led to a self-renewing, long-lived, heterogeneous population with a unique transcriptional profile. This includes dysfunctional progenitor/stem-like (T_SL) cells and two distinct dysfunctional tissue-resident memory (T_RM) populations. While 4-1BB expression is ubiquitously maintained, OX40 expression is limited to T_SL. In chronic settings, only 4-1BB stimulation conferred antiviral activity. In HBeAg⁺ chronic patients, 4-1BB activation showed the highest potential to rejuvenate dysfunctional CD8⁺ T cells. Targeting all dysfunctional T cells, rather than only stem-like precursors, holds promise for treating chronic HBV infection.