Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42315521›Full record

ArticleNature communications2026

Engineering a dual-antigen mRNA vaccine to restore immune control in chronic hepatitis B.

Baowen Zhang, Yiyuan Wang, Da Chen, Mingyang Li, Jiachen Zhang, Yi Wu, Jinxing Xia, Xianyong Meng, Yucai Wang, Min Li

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Baowen Zhang *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetic, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Yiyuan Wang *Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetic, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Da ChenDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetic, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Mingyang LiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetic, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Jiachen ZhangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetic, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Yi WuDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetic, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Jinxing XiaDepartment of Clinical Laboratory, First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Xianyong MengDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetic, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.
Yucai WangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetic, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. yucaiwang@ustc.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0001-6046-2934
Min LiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproduction and Genetic, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Center for Advanced Interdisciplinary Science and Biomedicine of IHM, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China. limin09@ustc.edu.cn.ORCID 0000-0003-4386-3992

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32571604National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 52495014National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) U25A20146
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Therapeutic vaccination for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains challenging, as persistent immune tolerance to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) impedes anti-HBsAg seroconversion. Here we show that screening antigen combinations incorporating HBsAg identifies preS1-HBsAg as the optimal pairing. The resulting dual-antigen mRNA vaccine elicits robust hepatitis B virus (HBV)-specific immune responses in chronic HBV mouse models, leading to near-complete viral genome clearance, marked reduction of multiple HBV antigens, and serological conversion. Mechanistic analyses reveal that preS1 serves as the primary driver of HBV-specific T cell responses, while HBsAg contributes to both anti-HBsAg seroconversion and intrinsic adjuvant activity. Specifically, when delivered in mRNA form, HBsAg promotes antigen-presenting cell (APC) activation, enhances antigen presentation, and amplifies preS1-specific CD8⁺ T cell responses. Furthermore, combining the preS1-HBsAg vaccine with interferon-α (IFN-α) enhances antiviral efficacy and immune memory while maintaining a favorable safety profile. These findings establish preS1-HBsAg mRNA vaccination as a promising and translatable therapeutic strategy for functional cure of CHB.

Indexed as

Hepatitis B, ChronicHepatitis B Surface AntigensHepatitis B VaccinesHepatitis B virusmRNA VaccinesAnimalsCD8-Positive T-LymphocytesFemaleHumansInterferon-alphaMiceMice, Inbred C57BLProtein PrecursorsRNA, MessengerVaccines, SyntheticHepatitis B Surface AntigensHepatitis B VaccinesInterferon-alphamRNA Vaccinespresurface protein 1, hepatitis B surface antigenProtein PrecursorsRNA, MessengerVaccines, Synthetic

Identifiers

PMID42315521
PMCPMC13434786

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.