Hepatitis E vaccines: A mini review

Akbar Hussain,Harapan Harapan,Haroon Haroon,Jin Hui,Kabir Ahmad,Kuldeep Dhama,Muhammad Khan,Muhammad Waseem Shah,Mukhtiar Baig,S Mudasser Shah,Sajid Jalal,Tauseef Ahmad,Waqar Ahmad

doi:10.15419/bmrat.v8i9.690

Abstract

The hepatitis E virus (HEV) is an important public health concern and a significant cause of enterically-transmitted viral hepatitis infections. HEV infection remains a serious threat to life, especially in immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women. Globally, vaccines have had a massive impact on public health and saved millions of lives. Vaccination can reduce the healthcare expenditure, decrease the mortality rate, and increase life expectancy. The availability of commercially effective vaccines is the most effective means for the prevention of HEV. However, the development of classic inactive or attenuated HEV vaccines is not feasible due to the lack of an efficient cell culture system for HEV. In recent years, recombinant HEV vaccine approaches have been explored. Many vaccine candidates have showed potential efficacy against HEV infection. Currently, the only licensed vaccine is Hecolin®, a recombinant vaccine developed by Xiamen Innovax Biotech Co., Ltd. It is available in China. However, there are many hindrances when it comes to the acrossthe- board application of Hecolin® and other vaccines worldwide. Large-scale efforts are needed to further evaluate the efficacy and safety of Hecolin® in at-risk populations and to pass the World Health Organization prequalification for licensing outside of China.

Highlights

Hepatitis E infection, caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV), is the fifth known type of human viral hepatitis and it is considered to be the most common cause of jaundice, acute liver failure, and acute viral hepatitis 1–5
This review aims to summarize the current development of HEV vaccines and the key challenges that are a part of vaccine development and deployment
Routine vaccination should be implemented in countries with endemic HEV with a special emphasis on pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Hepatitis E infection, caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV), is the fifth known type of human viral hepatitis and it is considered to be the most common cause of jaundice, acute liver failure, and acute viral hepatitis 1–5. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are an estimated 20 million HEV infections every year globally. Of these cases, approximately 3.3 million develop into symptomatic cases. HEV causes infections worldwide but it is more common in low- and middle-income countries with limited access to clean drinking water, acceptable hygiene practices, proper sanitation, and health services. Both sporadic cases and outbreaks have been documented 15,34,35. A recent study reported that the seroprevalence of HEV among countries in Southeast Asia ranged from 2% (Malaysia) to 77.7% (Lao People’s Democratic Republic) 39. Sf9 cells, BALB/c mice - BALB/c mice Sf9 cells, BHK-21 cells. mice CHO & HEK293 cells 180 Balb/c mice

CONCLUSIONS

Findings

46. Hepatitis E vaccine