Can Adoptive Immunotherapy With Hepatitis E Virus (HEV)-Specific T Cells Address the Unmet Need in Refractory Chronic HEV Infection?

Chronic hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection, which primarily affects the immunocompromised, can rapidly progress to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis if untreated. However, current therapeutic options are extremely limited and have significant adverse effects. Over the past decade, virus-specific T-cell therapy has shown promise as an alternative safe and effective treatment strategy for other refractory viral infections such as cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, and polyomavirus infections in hematopoietic stem cell and solid organ transplant recipients. Given the key role of T lymphocytes in the control of HEV replication and the fact that HEV-specific T-cell responses are typically diminished in immunosuppressed patients with persistent HEV infection, adoptive immunotherapy with HEV-specific T cells could serve as a novel addition to the HEV treatment repertoire, which is in dire need of expansion.