Despite the long-standing availability of effective prophylaxis,
chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a formidable public
health threat. Antiviral treatments can limit viral propagation, but
prolonged therapy is necessary to control HBV replication. Robust
in
vitro models of HBV infection
are indispensable prerequisites for elucidating viral pathogenesis,
delineating virus-host interplay and developing novel therapeutic,
preventative countermeasures. Buoyed by advances in molecular techniques
and tissue culture systems, investigators have engineered numerous in vitro models of the HBV life cycle. However, all current
platforms harbor limitations in the recapitulation of natural infection.
In this article, we comprehensively review the HBV life cycle, provide
an overview of existing in vitro HBV infection and
replication systems, and succinctly present the benefits and caveats
in each model with the primary objective of constructing refined experimental
models that closely mimic native viral infection and offering robust
support for the ambitious “elimination of hepatitis by 2030”
initiative.