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Friedrich M, Pfeifer G, Binder S, Aigner A, Vollmer Barbosa P, Makert GR, Fertey J, Ulbert S, Bodem J, König EM, Geiger N, Schambach A, Schilling E, Buschmann T, Hauschildt S, Koehl U, Sewald K. Selection and Validation of siRNAs Preventing Uptake and Replication of SARS-CoV-2. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:801870. [PMID: 35309990 PMCID: PMC8925020 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.801870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2019, the novel highly infectious severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak rapidly led to a global pandemic with more than 346 million confirmed cases worldwide, resulting in 5.5 million associated deaths (January 2022). Entry of all SARS-CoV-2 variants is mediated by the cellular angisin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The virus abundantly replicates in the epithelia of the upper respiratory tract. Beyond vaccines for immunization, there is an imminent need for novel treatment options in COVID-19 patients. So far, only a few drugs have found their way into the clinics, often with modest success. Specific gene silencing based on small interfering RNA (siRNA) has emerged as a promising strategy for therapeutic intervention, preventing/limiting SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells or interfering with viral replication. Here, we pursued both strategies. We designed and screened nine siRNAs (siA1-9) targeting the viral entry receptor ACE2. SiA1, (siRNA against exon1 of ACE2 mRNA) was most efficient, with up to 90% knockdown of the ACE2 mRNA and protein for at least six days. In vitro, siA1 application was found to protect Vero E6 and Huh-7 cells from infection with SARS-CoV-2 with an up to ∼92% reduction of the viral burden indicating that the treatment targets both the endosomal and the viral entry at the cytoplasmic membrane. Since the RNA-encoded genome makes SARS-CoV-2 vulnerable to RNA interference (RNAi), we designed and analysed eight siRNAs (siV1-8) directly targeting the Orf1a/b region of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome, encoding for non-structural proteins (nsp). As a significant hallmark of this study, we identified siV1 (siRNA against leader protein of SARS-CoV-2), which targets the nsp1-encoding sequence (a.k.a. ‘host shutoff factor’) as particularly efficient. SiV1 inhibited SARS-CoV-2 replication in Vero E6 or Huh-7 cells by more than 99% or 97%, respectively. It neither led to toxic effects nor induced type I or III interferon production. Of note, sequence analyses revealed the target sequence of siV1 to be highly conserved in SARS-CoV-2 variants. Thus, our results identify the direct targeting of the viral RNA genome (ORF1a/b) by siRNAs as highly efficient and introduce siV1 as a particularly promising drug candidate for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maik Friedrich
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Leipzig University of Leipzig, Max-Bürger-Forschungszentrum (MBFZ), Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Vaccines and Infection Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Leipzig, Germany
- *Correspondence: Maik Friedrich,
| | - Gabriele Pfeifer
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Leipzig University of Leipzig, Max-Bürger-Forschungszentrum (MBFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefanie Binder
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Leipzig University of Leipzig, Max-Bürger-Forschungszentrum (MBFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Achim Aigner
- Rudolf Boehm Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Clinical Pharmacology, Leipzig University, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Gustavo R. Makert
- Department of Vaccines and Infection Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jasmin Fertey
- Department of Vaccines and Infection Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ulbert
- Department of Vaccines and Infection Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jochen Bodem
- Institute of Virology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Eva-Maria König
- Institute of Virology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nina Geiger
- Institute of Virology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Axel Schambach
- Institute of Experimental Hematology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- REBIRTH Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Erik Schilling
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Leipzig University of Leipzig, Max-Bürger-Forschungszentrum (MBFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tilo Buschmann
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Leipzig University of Leipzig, Max-Bürger-Forschungszentrum (MBFZ), Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Ulrike Koehl
- Institute of Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Leipzig University of Leipzig, Max-Bürger-Forschungszentrum (MBFZ), Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Vaccines and Infection Models, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology IZI, Leipzig, Germany
- REBIRTH Research Center for Translational Regenerative Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
- Institute for Cellular Therapeutics, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Katherina Sewald
- Fraunhofer Institute of Toxicology and Experimental Medicine, Biomedical Research in Endstage and Obstructive Lung Disease Hannover (BREATH) of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Hannover, Germany
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Balasuriya UBR, Go YY, MacLachlan NJ. Equine arteritis virus. Vet Microbiol 2013; 167:93-122. [PMID: 23891306 PMCID: PMC7126873 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2013.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2013] [Revised: 06/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis (EVA), a respiratory and reproductive disease of equids. There has been significant recent progress in understanding the molecular biology of EAV and the pathogenesis of its infection in horses. In particular, the use of contemporary genomic techniques, along with the development and reverse genetic manipulation of infectious cDNA clones of several strains of EAV, has generated significant novel information regarding the basic molecular biology of the virus. Therefore, the objective of this review is to summarize current understanding of EAV virion architecture, replication, evolution, molecular epidemiology and genetic variation, pathogenesis including the influence of host genetics on disease susceptibility, host immune response, and potential vaccination and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udeni B R Balasuriya
- Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546, USA.
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Shah PS, Schaffer DV. Antiviral RNAi: translating science towards therapeutic success. Pharm Res 2011; 28:2966-82. [PMID: 21826573 PMCID: PMC5012899 DOI: 10.1007/s11095-011-0549-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2011] [Accepted: 07/25/2011] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Viruses continuously evolve to contend with an ever-changing environment that involves transmission between hosts and sometimes species, immune responses, and in some cases therapeutic interventions. Given the high mutation rate of viruses relative to the timescales of host evolution and drug development, novel drug classes that are readily screened and translated to the clinic are needed. RNA interference (RNAi)—a natural mechanism for specific degradation of target RNAs that is conserved from plants to invertebrates and vertebrates—can potentially be harnessed to yield therapies with extensive specificity, ease of design, and broad application. In this review, we discuss basic mechanisms of action and therapeutic applications of RNAi, including design considerations and areas for future development in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priya S Shah
- Department of Chemical and Biolmolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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The effect of siRNA treatment on experimental equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) infection in horses. Virus Res 2009; 147:176-81. [PMID: 19896512 PMCID: PMC7114471 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2009.10.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2009] [Revised: 10/27/2009] [Accepted: 10/27/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Available vaccines fail to induce lasting and protective immunity to equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) associated diseases. RNA interference is a novel approach showing promise for therapeutic use in outbreak situations. This study examined the effect of small interfering RNA (siRNA) on clinical signs as well as the presence of live virus and viral DNA in nasal secretions and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in horses experimentally infected with EHV-1. siRNA targeting two EHV-1 genes (glycoprotein B and the origin binding protein) was administered 12 h before and 12 h after intranasal infection with EHV-1. Control horses received siRNA targeting firefly luciferase. A significantly smaller proportion (0/10) of horses receiving siRNA targeting viral genes required euthanasia due to intractable neurologic disease as compared to horses in the control group (3/4; p = 0.01). There was no significant difference in the presence of live virus or viral DNA in the nasal secretions or PBMCs between the two groups. Future studies are necessary to define the relative contributions of host and virus factors in the development of the neurological form of the infection and to determine an optimal dosing regimen for metaphylactic or therapeutic use of siRNA for treating EHV-1 infection.
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