ABSTRACT
Functional cure of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) marks sustained virological inhibition and immunological control and is the ideal treatment goal recommended by the latest guidelines for the prevention and treatment of CHB in China and foreign countries. CHB patients can achieve virological inhibition with the help of long-term direct antiviral therapy, and only a small number of patients can achieve functional cure, suggesting that there is an urgent need for the combination of direct antiviral therapy and immunotherapy. At present, the best treatment strategy is targeted precise clearance of HBV-infected hepatocytes to reduce liver injury, which depends on HBV-specific immune cells in the liver. Therefore, restoring or enhancing the function of HBV-specific T cells and B cells is the key strategy for functional cure of CHB.