infection and especially cccDNA elimination cytolytic mechanisms are crucial. It was the aim of this study to analyze HBV-specific CD8+ T cell effector functions in a human cell culture model. Methods: For this analysis HBV producing human hepatoma cell lines (HepG2.117) were utilized. These cells express significant amounts of HLA-A2 and allow antigen processing and presentation to HBV-specific CD8+ T cells. Co culture experiments were performed with T cell receptor transduced effector cells and HBV specific T cell lines. The effect on viral replication was measured by quantitative PCR and verified by southern blot. Results: Our results can be summarized as follows: i. The co culture of HBV producing hepatoma cells with HBVspecific CD8+ T cells led to upregulation of IFN-gamma and CD107a showing that HepG2.117 endogeneously process and present HBV-specific epitopes. ii. In co culture experiments, a significant more than 1 log suppression of HBVDNA was observed. iii. The decline in HBVDNA occured in concert with a increase in AST levels. iv. The antiviral effect was lost in transwell experiments, showing that direct cell-cell contact is required for the antiviral effect. v. The addition of recombinant IFN-gamma and/or TNF-alpha to HepG2.117 cells led to no significant reduction of HBVDNA. Conclusions: Taken together, these results show the dominant role of cytolysis in this model system of HBV infection. This new model will be useful to determine the cytolytic effector functions of HBV specific CD8+ T cells and other immune cells in HBV infection.