丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）感染是世界范围内的一个主要健康问题。它可导致肝硬化和肝细胞癌（HCC），使其成为肝病发病的一个原因。因此，迫切需要预防性HCV疫苗。幸运的是，现代医学通过开发直接作用抗病毒药物 (DAA) 改变了 HCV 感染的治疗方法，实现了高比率的持续病毒学应答，并显着降低了 HCC 和相关死亡率，但不幸的是，它未能消除 HCC 的风险，尤其是丙肝病毒清除且已患有晚期肝病的患者。此外，DAA 治愈的患者没有产生足够的抗病毒免疫力，并且容易再次感染。控制丙型肝炎病毒感染的综合策略必须包括疫苗开发方法，使宿主能够产生体液和细胞免疫以成功根除丙型肝炎病毒；然而，这仍然是一个挑战，因为丙型肝炎病毒已经开发出逃避宿主免疫攻击的系统。这篇综述重点介绍了目前对丙型肝炎病毒对肝病和癌症进展影响的认识、与丙型肝炎病毒相互作用的细胞群的免疫反应的性质以及当前的疫苗开发策略。本综述中的信息将推进 HCV 感染的预防性干预策略，最终目标是预防慢性病和随后导致 HCC 的肝病。版权所有 © 2024 Elsevier Ltd。保留所有权利。

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major health problem worldwide. It can cause liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), making it a cause of morbidity from liver disease. Thus, there is an urgent need for a prophylactic HCV vaccine. Fortunately, modern medicine has transformed the therapy for HCV infection through development of direct-acting antiviral agents (DAAs), achieving high rates of sustained virologic response and giving significant relief from HCC and associated mortality, but unfortunately it fails to eradicate the risk of HCC, especially in HCV-cleared patients with already advanced liver disease. Additionally, DAA-cured patients do not develop sufficient antiviral immunity and are susceptible to reinfection. A comprehensive strategy to control HCV infection must include a vaccine development approach in which the host can develop humoral and cellular immunity to eradicate HCV successfully; however, this remains a challenge as HCV has developed systems to evade immune attacks from its host. This review highlights the current understanding of HCV's effect on liver disease and cancer progression, the nature of immune responses from cell populations interacting with HCV, and the current strategies for vaccine development. The information in this review will advance prophylactic intervention strategies for HCV infection, with the end goal being to prevent chronicity and subsequent liver disease leading to HCC.Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.