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Novotny LA, Evans JG, Guo H, Kappler CS, Meissner EG. Interferon lambda receptor-1 isoforms differentially influence gene expression and HBV replication in stem cell-derived hepatocytes. Antiviral Res 2024; 221:105779. [PMID: 38070830 PMCID: PMC10872352 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the tolerogenic liver, inadequate or ineffective interferon signaling fails to clear chronic HBV infection. Lambda IFNs (IFNL) bind the interferon lambda receptor-1 (IFNLR1) which dimerizes with IL10RB to induce transcription of antiviral interferon-stimulated genes (ISG). IFNLR1 is expressed on hepatocytes, but low expression may limit the strength and antiviral efficacy of IFNL signaling. Three IFNLR1 transcriptional variants are detected in hepatocytes whose role in regulation of IFNL signaling is unclear: a full-length and signaling-capable form (isoform 1), a form that lacks a portion of the intracellular JAK1 binding domain (isoform 2), and a secreted form (isoform 3), the latter two predicted to be signaling defective. We hypothesized that altering expression of IFNLR1 isoforms would differentially impact the hepatocellular response to IFNLs and HBV replication. METHODS Induced pluripotent stem-cell derived hepatocytes (iHeps) engineered to contain FLAG-tagged, doxycycline-inducible IFNLR1 isoform constructs were HBV-infected then treated with IFNL3 followed by assessment of gene expression, HBV replication, and cellular viability. RESULTS Minimal overexpression of IFNLR1 isoform 1 markedly augmented ISG expression, induced de novo proinflammatory gene expression, and enhanced inhibition of HBV replication after IFNL treatment without adversely affecting cell viability. In contrast, overexpression of IFNLR1 isoform 2 or 3 partially augmented IFNL-induced ISG expression but did not support proinflammatory gene expression and minimally impacted HBV replication. CONCLUSIONS IFNLR1 isoforms differentially influence IFNL-induced gene expression and HBV replication in hepatocytes. Regulated IFNLR1 expression in vivo could limit the capacity of this pathway to counteract HBV replication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Novotny
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - J Grayson Evans
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Haitao Guo
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Cancer Virology Program, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Christiana S Kappler
- Department of Regenerative Medicine and Cell Biology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Eric G Meissner
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
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2
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Sangeetha Vijayan P, Xavier J, Valappil MP. A review of immune modulators and immunotherapy in infectious diseases. Mol Cell Biochem 2023:10.1007/s11010-023-04825-w. [PMID: 37682390 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-023-04825-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The human immune system responds to harmful foreign invaders frequently encountered by the body and employs defense mechanisms to counteract such assaults. Various exogenous and endogenous factors play a prominent role in maintaining the balanced functioning of the immune system, which can result in immune suppression or immune stimulation. With the advent of different immune-modulatory agents, immune responses can be modulated or regulated to control infections and other health effects. Literature provides evidence on various immunomodulators from different sources and their role in modulating immune responses. Due to the limited efficacy of current drugs and the rise in drug resistance, there is a growing need for new therapies for infectious diseases. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of different immune-modulating agents and immune therapies specifically focused on viral infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sangeetha Vijayan
- Toxicology Division, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology [Govt. of India], Thiruvananthapuram, 695 012, Kerala, India
| | - Joseph Xavier
- Toxicology Division, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology [Govt. of India], Thiruvananthapuram, 695 012, Kerala, India
| | - Mohanan Parayanthala Valappil
- Toxicology Division, Biomedical Technology Wing, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology [Govt. of India], Thiruvananthapuram, 695 012, Kerala, India.
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Zou Y, Zhang M, Zhou J. Recent trends in STING modulators: Structures, mechanisms, and therapeutic potential. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103694. [PMID: 37393985 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase stimulator (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon gene (STING) signaling pathway has an integral role in the host immune response through DNA sensing followed by inducing a robust innate immune defense program. STING has become a promising therapeutic target associated with multiple diseases, including various inflammatory diseases, cancer, and infectious diseases, among others. Thus, modulators of STING are regarded as emerging therapeutic agents. Recent progress has been made in STING research, including recently identified STING-mediated regulatory pathways, the development of a new STING modulator, and the new association of STING with disease. In this review, we focus on recent trends in the development of STING modulators, including structures, mechanisms, and clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China; Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China; Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China
| | - Jinming Zhou
- Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Advanced Catalysis Materials, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China; Drug Development and Innovation Center, College of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, 688 Yingbin Road, Jinhua 321004, China.
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Zhu J, Niu H, Lu D, Li Y, Ding M. Research on the applicability of an exercise rehabilitation app aiming to improve the mental and physical health of breast cancer patients in the post-operative period. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1126284. [PMID: 37457078 PMCID: PMC10349282 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1126284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Breast cancer is one of the most common malignant cancers in women, seriously endangering the physical and mental health of patients. In this study, we developed an app for breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy or chemotherapy with a focus on exercise interventions, supplemented by nutritional and psychological interventions, to verify the applicability of the app for these patients and its impact on their quality of life, sleep, and psychological state. We also investigated the patients' experience and perceptions of the app. Methods A total of 17 participants, aged 42-58 years, were recruited for this study using a mixed-methods design, including quantitative group pre-and post-test scores and qualitative interview results. The participants used the app for 8-18 weeks depending on their radiotherapy or chemotherapy cycle. During the radiotherapy or chemotherapy period, the participants used the "Yun Dong Ru Kang" exercise rehabilitation app to perform aerobic exercises twice a week, as well as rehabilitation exercises appropriate to their radiotherapy or chemotherapy stage, and used the app on their own the rest of the time. The primary results included their scores on the PSSUQ overall assessment usability questionnaire, the users' use of the app, and the results of the interviews; the secondary indicators were quality of life, sleep status, and anxiety and depression status. Results An overall score of 6.2 (out of 7 points) on the PSSUQ questionnaire indicates the high usability; the average use time per subject per week was 97.69 ± 11.82 min, which exceeds the minimum use time, but the average use time tended to decrease as the use time was postponed. Promoted articles on nutritional diets received the most hits. The results of the interviews were consistent with the questionnaire scores, with the majority of participants believing that the means of exercise should be enriched and the interface optimized, while the reduction in the length of use was related to the participants' own state of learning about calisthenics. In the results of the Breast Cancer-Specific Scale FACT-B, there was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the Emotional Status dimension score and a significant decrease (p < 0.05) on the Additional Concerns dimension score. In the results of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory PSQI, there was a non-significant improvement in all items except for a significant increase (p < 0.05) for the Hypnotic Medication item. In the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), there was no significant improvement in any of the anxiety and depression factors. Conclusions The "Yun Dong Ru Kang "app has certain applicability, and the use of the exercise rehabilitation app may effectively reduce the negative impact of chemotherapy side effects on the quality of life, sleep and depression of breast cancer patients in the chemotherapy or radiotherapy phase. Before it is put into use in the future, the app should be enriched with exercise tools, the interface should be optimized, and articles on nutrition and diet should be promoted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxin Zhu
- College of Physical Education, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Hu Niu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jinan Central Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Dianjie Lu
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Yuqi Li
- Jinan Zhensheng School, Jinan, China
| | - Meng Ding
- College of Physical Education, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
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5
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Li C, Dong X, Yu L, Yuan K, Yi X, Shen Y, Niu H. The effects of qigong intervention based on the Internet on quality of life and physical fitness in Chinese postoperative breast cancer patients: a protocol of randomized controlled trial. Trials 2023; 24:186. [PMID: 36915187 PMCID: PMC10010003 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07187-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to verify the improvement of remote qigong intervention on the quality of life and physical fitness of breast cancer patients after surgery by means of a randomized controlled trial and to compare it with the conventional exercise combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training. METHODS/DESIGN The research approach applied in this study is a randomized controlled trial. After completing the baseline questionnaire and physical fitness test, participants were randomly assigned to either the qigong group or the combined exercise rehabilitation group. Patients in the qigong group performed Qigong-Baduanjin twice a week for 30 min each time under remote guidance and practiced Baduanjin by themselves at other times. Patients in the combined exercise rehabilitation group were given resistance training twice a week for 30 min under remote guidance, and walking the rest of the time. At the end of the 12-week intervention, outcomes testing and data collection were carried out. The primary outcomes are quality of life, measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FATC-B). The secondary outcomes include cardiopulmonary endurance, upper limb strength, lower limb strength, and skinfold thickness. DISCUSSION The importance of postoperative exercise rehabilitation for breast cancer has been gradually accepted by more and more doctors and patients, but further research and development of simple and practical means of exercise rehabilitation are necessary. Remote qigong intervention for breast cancer patients via the Internet will be a great alternative. TRIAL REGISTRATION Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR1900027989. Registered on December 7, 2019.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengxiang Li
- College of Physical Education, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Xiaosheng Dong
- College of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan, 250011, China
| | - Lina Yu
- College of Physical Education, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Kai Yuan
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, 250011, China
| | - Xiangren Yi
- College of Physical Education, Shandong University, Jinan, 250011, China
| | - Yuanlong Shen
- College of Physical Education, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China
| | - Hu Niu
- Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jinan Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China.
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Prospects for using CRISPR-Cas9 system in the treatment of human viral diseases. ACTA BIOMEDICA SCIENTIFICA 2023. [DOI: 10.29413/abs.2023-8.1.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim. To analyze the possibility of using the genetic mechanisms of CRISPR-Cas9 technology in the prevention and treatment of certain viral diseases.Materials and methods. The search for publications was carried out in Russian and foreign literature using the following search engines: RSCI, Cyberleninka, eLibrary, PubMed, Cochrane Library, etc. A review of domestic and international scientific papers on the research topic was carried out using search keywords: CRISPR, genetic engineering, genome editing, Cas9, sgRNA.Results. A review of using CRISPR-Cas9 method (“genetic scissors”) as a gene therapy for some viral diseases was carried out, and its main advantages and disadvantages were revealed. An analysis of the data of scientific studies on genetic research methods over the past decade discovers the main aspects of CRISPR-Cas9 technology, modern classification and prospects for using this technology in clinical practice for the treatment and prevention of human viral diseases. The possibilities of creating a more versatile and stable version of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology are considered. Particular attention is paid to the technological difficulties and obstacles that scientists face when implementing this system for targeted use in clinical medicine.Conclusion. One of the rapidly developing areas in science giving promising prospects for modern healthcare is genetic engineering, especially in cases where scientific developments are applied in clinical practice. The discovery of “genetic scissors” technology has revolutionized all medicine. Wide opportunities for developing new treatment methods for many viral diseases and creating conditions for their early prevention opened up for the medical community. In the future, with the introduction of this technology into clinical practice, it will become possible to treat diseases that have not previously responded to ongoing therapy and were considered incurable.
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7
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Yardeni D, Chang KM, Ghany MG. Current Best Practice in Hepatitis B Management and Understanding Long-term Prospects for Cure. Gastroenterology 2023; 164:42-60.e6. [PMID: 36243037 PMCID: PMC9772068 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2022.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma worldwide. Despite an effective vaccine, the prevalence of chronic infection remains high. Current therapy is effective at achieving on-treatment, but not off-treatment, viral suppression. Loss of hepatitis B surface antigen, the best surrogate marker of off-treatment viral suppression, is associated with improved clinical outcomes. Unfortunately, this end point is rarely achieved with current therapy because of their lack of effect on covalently closed circular DNA, the template of viral transcription and genome replication. Major advancements in our understanding of HBV virology along with better understanding of immunopathogenesis have led to the development of a multitude of novel therapeutic approaches with the prospect of achieving functional cure (hepatitis B surface antigen loss) and perhaps complete cure (clearance of covalently closed circular DNA and integrated HBV DNA). This review will cover current best practice for managing chronic HBV infection and emerging novel therapies for HBV infection and their prospect for cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Yardeni
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Kyong-Mi Chang
- Medical Research, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Marc G Ghany
- Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
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8
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Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, estimated to be globally responsible for ∼800,000 deaths annually. Although effective vaccines are available to prevent new HBV infection, treatment of existing chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is limited, as the current standard-of-care antiviral drugs can only suppress viral replication without achieving cure. In 2016, the World Health Organization called for the elimination of viral hepatitis as a global public health threat by 2030. The United States and other nations are working to meet this ambitious goal by developing strategies to cure CHB, as well as prevent HBV transmission. This review considers recent research progress in understanding HBV pathobiology and development of therapeutics for the cure of CHB, which is necessary for elimination of hepatitis B by 2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M Block
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, USA;
| | - Kyong-Mi Chang
- The Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Ju-Tao Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, USA;
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9
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Simultaneous or prior activation of intrahepatic type I interferon signaling leads to hepatitis B virus persistence in a mouse model. J Virol 2021; 95:e0003421. [PMID: 34550772 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00034-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
It remains controversial how interferon (IFN) response contributes to hepatitis B virus (HBV) control and pathogenesis. A previous study identified that hydrodynamic injection (HI) of type I IFN (IFN-I) inducer polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) leads to HBV clearance in a chronic HBV mouse model. However, recent studies have suggested that premature IFN-I activation in the liver may facilitate HBV persistence. In the present study, we investigated how the early IFN-I response induces an immunosuppressive signaling cascade and thus causes HBV persistence. We performed HI of the plasmid adeno-associated virus (pAAV)/HBV 1.2 into adult BALB/c mice to establish an adult acute HBV replication model. Activation of the IFN-I signaling pathway following poly(I:C) stimulation or murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) infection resulted in subsequent HBV persistence. HI of poly(I:C) with the pAAV/HBV 1.2 plasmid resulted in not only the production of IFN-I and the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-10 but also the expansion of intrahepatic regulatory T cells (Tregs), Kupffer cells (KCs) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), all of which impaired the T cell response. However, when poly(I:C) was injected at day 14 after the HBV plasmid injection, it significantly enhanced HBV specific T cell responses. In addition, interferon-alpha/beta receptor (IFNAR) blockade rescued T cell response by downregulating of IL-10 expression and decreasing Treg and KC expansion. Consistently, Treg depletion or IL-10 blockade also controlled HBV replication. Importance: IFN-I plays a double-edged sword role during chronic HBV infection. Here, we identified that application of IFN-I at different time points causes contrast outcome. Activation of the IFN-I pathway before HBV replication induces an immunosuppressive signaling cascade in the liver, and consequently caused HBV persistence while IFN-I activation post HBV infection enhances HBV-specific T cell responses and thus promote HBV clearance. This result provided an important clue to the mechanism of HBV persistence in adult individuals.
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10
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Liu Y, Lu X, Qin N, Qiao Y, Xing S, Liu W, Feng F, Liu Z, Sun H. STING, a promising target for small molecular immune modulator: A review. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 211:113113. [PMID: 33360799 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.113113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2020] [Revised: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) plays a crucial role in human innate immune system, which is gradually concerned following the emerging immunotherapy. Activated STING induces the production of type I interferons (IFNs) and proinflammatory cytokines through STING-TBK1-IRF3/NF-κB pathway, which could be applied into the treatment of infection, inflammation, and tumorigenesis. Here, we provided a detailed summary of STING from its structure, function and regulation. Especially, we illustrated the canonical or noncanonical cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) and synthetic small molecules for STING activation or inhibition and their efficacy in related diseases. Importantly, we particularly emphasized the discovery, development and modification of STING agonist or antagonist, attempting to enlighten reader's mind for enriching small molecular modulator of STING. In addition, we summarized biological evaluation methods for the assessment of small molecules activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijun Liu
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Lu
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Nan Qin
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuting Qiao
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuaishuai Xing
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenyuan Liu
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Feng
- Department of Natural Medicinal Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China; Jiangsu Food and Pharmaceuticals Science College, Institute of Food and Pharmaceuticals Research, 223005, People's Republic of China
| | - Zongliang Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Key Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology and Drug Evaluation (Yantai University), Ministry of Education, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Drug Delivery System and Biotech Drugs in Universities of Shandong, Yantai University, Yantai, 264005, PR China.
| | - Haopeng Sun
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, People's Republic of China.
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Abstract
Currently, despite the use of a preventive vaccine for several decades as well as the use of effective and well-tolerated viral suppressive medications since 1998, approximately 250 million people remain infected with the virus that causes hepatitis B worldwide. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) are the leading causes of liver cancer and overall mortality globally, surpassing malaria and tuberculosis. Linkage to care is estimated to be very poor both in developing countries and in high-income countries, such as the United States, countries in Western Europe, and Japan. In the United States, by CDC estimates, only one-third of HBV-infected patients or less are aware of their infection. Some reasons for these low rates of surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment include the asymptomatic nature of chronic hepatitis B until the very late stages, a lack of curative therapy with a finite treatment duration, a complex natural history, and a lack of knowledge about the disease by both care providers and patients. In the last 5 years, more attention has been focused on the important topics of HBV screening, diagnosis of HBV infection, and appropriate linkage to care. There have also been rapid clinical developments toward a functional cure of HBV infection, with novel compounds currently being in various phases of progress. Despite this knowledge, many of the professional organizations provide guidelines focused only on specific questions related to the treatment of HBV infection. This focus leaves a gap for care providers on the other HBV-related issues, which include HBV's epidemiological profile, its natural history, how it interacts with other viral hepatitis diseases, treatments, and the areas that still need to be addressed in order to achieve HBV elimination by 2030. Thus, to fill these gaps and provide a more comprehensive and relevant document to regions worldwide, we have taken a global approach by using the findings of global experts on HBV as well as citing major guidelines and their various approaches to addressing HBV and its disease burden.
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Means S, Ali MA, Ho H, Heffernan J. Mathematical Modeling for Hepatitis B Virus: Would Spatial Effects Play a Role and How to Model It? Front Physiol 2020; 11:146. [PMID: 32158403 PMCID: PMC7052012 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shawn Means
- School of Natural and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Md A Ali
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Harvey Ho
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jane Heffernan
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
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13
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Meng Z, Chen Y, Lu M. Advances in Targeting the Innate and Adaptive Immune Systems to Cure Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection. Front Immunol 2020; 10:3127. [PMID: 32117201 PMCID: PMC7018702 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.03127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
“Functional cure” is being pursued as the ultimate endpoint of antiviral treatment in chronic hepatitis B (CHB), which is characterized by loss of HBsAg whether or not anti-HBs antibodies are present. “Functional cure” can be achieved in <10% of CHB patients with currently available therapeutic agents. The dysfunction of specific immune responses to hepatitis B virus (HBV) is considered the major cause of persistent HBV infection. Thus, modulating the host immune system to strengthen specific cellular immune reactions might help eliminate HBV. Strategies are needed to restore/enhance innate immunity and induce HBV-specific adaptive immune responses in a coordinated way. Immune and resident cells express pattern recognition receptors like TLRs and RIG I/MDA5, which play important roles in the induction of innate immunity through sensing of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and bridging to adaptive immunity for pathogen-specific immune control. TLR/RIG I agonists activate innate immune responses and suppress HBV replication in vitro and in vivo, and are being investigated in clinical trials. On the other hand, HBV-specific immune responses could be induced by therapeutic vaccines, including protein (HBsAg/preS and HBcAg), DNA, and viral vector-based vaccines. More than 50 clinical trials have been performed to assess therapeutic vaccines in CHB treatment, some of which display potential effects. Most recently, using genetic editing technology to generate CAR-T or TCR-T, HBV-specific T cells have been produced to efficiently clear HBV. This review summarizes the progress in basic and clinical research investigating immunomodulatory strategies for curing chronic HBV infection, and critically discusses the rather disappointing results of current clinical trials and future strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongji Meng
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Mengji Lu
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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14
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Bellizzi A, Ahye N, Jalagadugula G, Wollebo HS. A Broad Application of CRISPR Cas9 in Infectious Diseases of Central Nervous System. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2019; 14:578-594. [PMID: 31512166 PMCID: PMC6898781 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-019-09878-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Virus-induced diseases or neurological complications are huge socio-economic burden to human health globally. The complexity of viral-mediated CNS pathology is exacerbated by reemergence of new pathogenic neurotropic viruses of high public relevance. Although the central nervous system is considered as an immune privileged organ and is mainly protected by barrier system, there are a vast majority of neurotropic viruses capable of gaining access and cause diseases. Despite continued growth of the patient population and a number of treatment strategies, there is no successful viral specific therapy available for viral induced CNS diseases. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a clear alternative treatment strategy that can effectively target neurotropic viruses of DNA or RNA genome. To address this need, rapidly growing gene editing technology based on CRISPR/Cas9, provides unprecedented control over viral genome editing and will be an effective, highly specific and versatile tool for targeting CNS viral infection. In this review, we discuss the application of this system to control CNS viral infection and associated neurological disorders and future prospects. Graphical Abstract CRISPR/Cas9 technology as agent control over CNS viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bellizzi
- Center for Neurovirology, Department of Neuroscience, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Room 756 MERB, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Nicholas Ahye
- Center for Neurovirology, Department of Neuroscience, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Room 756 MERB, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Gauthami Jalagadugula
- Center for Neurovirology, Department of Neuroscience, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Room 756 MERB, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Hassen S Wollebo
- Center for Neurovirology, Department of Neuroscience, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Room 756 MERB, 3500 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
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Fan H, Zhang A, Liao C, Yang Y, Zhang L, Liu J, Xia Y, Si D, Dong S, Liu C. In vitro metabolism and in vivo pharmacokinetics of bentysrepinine (Y101), an investigational new drug for anti-HBV-infected hepatitis: focus on interspecies comparison. Xenobiotica 2019; 50:468-478. [PMID: 31329010 DOI: 10.1080/00498254.2019.1646946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to clarify the species differences of pharmacokinetics of Y101 (N-[N-benzoyl-O-(2-dimethylaminoethyl)-l-tyrosyl]-l-phenylalaninol hydrochloride), a derivative of herbal ingredient with anti-HBV hepatitis activity, in rats, dogs, monkeys and humans.The metabolic stability and metabolite identification studies using liver microsomes in vitro, plasma protein binding using a rapid equilibrium dialysis in vitro, pharmacokinetic studies in vivo were carried out to evaluate the interspecies differences. The toxicokinetic study in monkeys was also investigated.The metabolic profiles were similar in monkeys and humans, which were significant different from rats and dogs in vitro. In vitro plasma protein binding showed no major differences between species with medium to high protein binding rates. After single oral dose to rats, dogs, and monkeys, the absolute oral bioavailability of Y101 was 44.9%, 43.1%, and 19.2%, respectively. There was no accumulation for Y101 toxicokinetics in monkeys after oral administration for 90 d.The metabolic profiles indicated monkey was the very animal model for preclinical safety evaluation of Y101. Our results have demonstrated the favorable pharmacokinetics profile of Y101, which supports the clinical trials in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huirong Fan
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Aijie Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Cuiping Liao
- Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuanhui Yang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Lihua Zhang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuanyuan Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin, China
| | - Duanyun Si
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin, China
| | - Shiqi Dong
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Molecular Nuclear Medicine, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Changxiao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Pharmacokinetics, Tianjin Institute of Pharmaceutical Research, Tianjin, China
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16
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Hu J, Cheng J, Tang L, Hu Z, Luo Y, Li Y, Zhou T, Chang J, Guo JT. Virological Basis for the Cure of Chronic Hepatitis B. ACS Infect Dis 2019; 5:659-674. [PMID: 29893548 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.8b00081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has infected one-third of world population, and 240 million people are chronic carriers, to whom a curative therapy is still not available. Similar to other viruses, persistent HBV infection relies on the virus to exploit host cell functions to support its replication and efficiently evade host innate and adaptive antiviral immunity. Understanding HBV replication and concomitant host cell interactions is thus instrumental for development of therapeutics to disrupt the virus-host interactions critical for its persistence and cure chronic hepatitis B. Although the currently available cell culture systems of HBV infection are refractory to genome-wide high throughput screening of key host cellular factors essential for and/or regulating HBV replication, classic one-gene (or pathway)-at-a-time studies in the last several decades have already revealed many aspects of HBV-host interactions. An overview of the landscape of HBV-hepatocyte interaction indicates that, in addition to more tightly suppressing viral replication by directly targeting viral proteins, disruption of key viral-host cell interactions to eliminate or inactivate the covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA, the most stable HBV replication intermediate that exists as an episomal minichromosome in the nucleus of infected hepatocyte, is essential to achieve a functional cure of chronic hepatitis B. Moreover, therapeutic targeting of integrated HBV DNA and their transcripts may also be required to induce hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance and prevent liver carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Hu
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, 1 Tian-tan Xi-li, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Junjun Cheng
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Liudi Tang
- Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program, Drexel University College of Medicine, 2900 West Queen Lane, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19129, United States
| | - Zhanying Hu
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Yue Luo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
- Institute of Hepatology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 87 Xiangya Road, Changsha, Hunan 410008, China
| | - Yuhuan Li
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, 1 Tian-tan Xi-li, Beijing, 100050, China
| | - Tianlun Zhou
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Jinhong Chang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
| | - Ju-Tao Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, Pennsylvania 18902, United States
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17
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Prognosis, Prevention and Research Prospects of Progression to Severe Hepatitis B (Liver Failure). ACUTE EXACERBATION OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS B 2019. [PMCID: PMC7498886 DOI: 10.1007/978-94-024-1603-9_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This chapter describes the factors involved in the disease prognosis, parameters of outcome evaluations, principles and techniques for progression prevention. In last section, the future perspectives in both basic and clinical investigations towards unmet medical needs in AECHB and HBV ACLF are discussed.Factors affecting the prognosis of patients with severe hepatitis B include those related to the virus (including viral load, HBeAg expression, and gene mutation), patient age, co-morbidity, TBil, INR, serum Cr, and the host genetic background. Indicators associated with patient prognosis include TBil, total cholesterol, albumin and prealbumin, hepatic encephalopathy, kidney damage, alpha-fetoprotein and vitamin D binding protein, blood sodium level, virus HBeAg expression and genotype, and blood glucose. In addition to TBil, INR, hepatic encephalopathy, Cr level and AFP as indicators for prognosis of severe hepatitis, some other parameters such as clinical signs, symptoms, serum levels of total cholesterol and albumin and natrium, and coagulation factors are all valuable in assessment. The roles of cell apoptosis, liver regeneration and immunological parameters in assessing patient prognosis are under study. Prognostic evaluating systems include MELD score, MELD-Na score, iMELD score, KCI and CTP score. Prevention of severe hepatitis B should be started in asymptomatic patients. Close observation, sufficient rest, adequate nutrition, meticulous nursing and psychological care, preventing and removing exacerbating factors, treating concomitant diseases, reasonable antiviral and comprehensive therapies are helpful to prevent CHB patients from developing to severe hepatitis. For patients who already have severe hepatitis B, the prevention and management of complications is important for lowering mortality rate. New research directions in acute-on-chronic liver failure include: (1) Additional well controlled studies using present or new liver systems are warranted. Other approaches include the use of granulocyte colony stimulating factor to treat infections as well as the potential of use of stem cells to restore immune integrity and enhance liver regeneration. (2) Using new cell lines and animal models to understand the molecular biology of HBV, the immune response and to develop novel therapies. (3) Development of new anti-HBV strategies, e.g. silencing or remove cccDNA, enhancing immunologic clearance of HBV infection, inhibiting virus entry or HBc expression and using CRISP to disrupt cccDNA.
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Design and synthesis of tetrahydropyridopyrimidine based Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) 7/8 dual agonists. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 28:3216-3221. [PMID: 30143425 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2018] [Revised: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In a continuing effort to discover novel TLR agonists, herein we report on the discovery and structure-activity relationship of novel tetrahydropyridopyrimidine TLR 7/8 agonists. Optimization of this series towards dual agonist activity and a high clearance profile resulted in the identification of compound 52a1. Evaluation in vivo revealed an interferon stimulated response (ISG) in mice with limited systemic exposure and demonstrated the potential in antiviral treatment or as a vaccine adjuvant.
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Embrechts W, Herschke F, Pauwels F, Stoops B, Last S, Pieters S, Pande V, Pille G, Amssoms K, Smyej I, Dhuyvetter D, Scholliers A, Mostmans W, Van Dijck K, Van Schoubroeck B, Thone T, De Pooter D, Fanning G, Jonckers THM, Horton H, Raboisson P, McGowan D. 2,4-Diaminoquinazolines as Dual Toll-like Receptor (TLR) 7/8 Modulators for the Treatment of Hepatitis B Virus. J Med Chem 2018; 61:6236-6246. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Werner Embrechts
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Florence Herschke
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Frederik Pauwels
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Bart Stoops
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Stefaan Last
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Serge Pieters
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Vineet Pande
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Geert Pille
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Katie Amssoms
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Ilham Smyej
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Deborah Dhuyvetter
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Annick Scholliers
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Wendy Mostmans
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Kris Van Dijck
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Tine Thone
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Dorien De Pooter
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Gregory Fanning
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Tim H. M. Jonckers
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Helen Horton
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Pierre Raboisson
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - David McGowan
- Janssen Infectious Diseases Diagnostics BVBA, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
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20
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Suslov A, Wieland S, Menne S. Modulators of innate immunity as novel therapeutics for treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Curr Opin Virol 2018; 30:9-17. [PMID: 29444493 PMCID: PMC5988934 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2018.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The first line defense mechanisms against viral infection are mediated by the innate immune system. Viral components are detected by infected cells and/or innate immune cells that express different sensory receptors. They in turn mediate induction of direct antiviral mechanisms and further modulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. For evading the innate system, most viruses have evolved efficient mechanisms to block sensing and/or antiviral functions of the innate response. Interestingly, hepatitis B virus (HBV) seems to act like a stealth virus that escapes cell intrinsic antiviral mechanisms through avoiding recognition by the innate system rather than blocking its effector functions. In line with this concept, agonistic activation of innate immunity has emerged as a promising novel anti-HBV therapy approach with several compounds having advanced to the clinical stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksei Suslov
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel CH-4031, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Wieland
- Department of Biomedicine, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel CH-4031, Switzerland.
| | - Stephan Menne
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, United States.
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21
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Abstract
With high morbidity and mortality worldwide, there is great interest in effective therapies for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) virus. There are currently several dozen investigational agents being developed for treatment of CHB. They can be broadly divided into two categories: (1) direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) that interfere with a specific step in viral replication; and (2) host-targeting agents that inhibit viral replication by modifying host cell function, with the latter group further divided into the subcategories of immune modulators and agents that target other host functions. Included among the DAAs being developed are RNA interference therapies, covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) formation and transcription inhibitors, core/capsid inhibitors, reverse transcriptase inhibitors, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) release inhibitors, antisense oligonucleotides, and helioxanthin analogues. Included among the host-targeting agents are entry inhibitors, cyclophilin inhibitors, and multiple immunomodulatory agents, including Toll-like receptor agonists, immune checkpoint inhibitors, therapeutic vaccines, engineered T cells, and several cytokine agents, including recombinant human interleukin-7 (CYT107) and SB 9200, a novel therapy that is believed to both have direct antiviral properties and to induce endogenous interferon. In this review we discuss agents that are currently in the clinical stage of development for CHB treatment as well as strategies and agents currently at the evaluation and discovery phase and potential future targets. Effective approaches to CHB may require suppression of viral replication combined with one or more host-targeting agents. Some of the recent research advances have led to the hope that with such a combined approach we may have a functional cure for CHB in the not distant future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Altaf Dawood
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Syed Abdul Basit
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Mahendran Jayaraj
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Robert G Gish
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology, University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas, NV, USA.
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA.
- Asian Pacific Health Foundation, San Diego, CA, USA.
- National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, Washington, DC, USA.
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22
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Dusheiko G. Current and future directions of management of hepatitis B: steps toward a cure. Future Virol 2018. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2017-0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Universal hepatitis B virus vaccination has been effective in reducing incident chronic hepatitis B but will not have the requisite effect on the prevalence of end-stage liver disease in chronically infected persons. The natural history and immunological stages of hepatitis B virus infection are still being defined. Over three decades, current therapies have reduced morbidity from chronic hepatitis B. The majority require nucleoside analog maintenance therapy. The preferential preservation of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), and capsid reverse transcriptase–cccDNA interactions currently precludes cure in most. A functional cure in the host may require several synergistic antiviral and immunological intercessions. The correct sequencing and combinations of treatment with either host or viral targeting agents have yet to be determined. Proven surrogates for cccDNA for clinical trials are required. Different strategies may become apparent for patients at different stages of the disease. Curative therapies will require affordability. This review focuses on steps toward a cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Dusheiko
- Kings College Hospital & University College London Medical School, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK
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23
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Cangelosi Q, Means SA, Ho H. A multi-scale spatial model of hepatitis-B viral dynamics. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188209. [PMID: 29216213 PMCID: PMC5720747 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B viral infection (HBV) afflicts around 250 million individuals globally and few options for treatment exist. Once infected, the virus entrenches itself in the liver with a notoriously resilient colonisation of viral DNA (covalently-closed circular DNA, cccDNA). The majority of infections are cleared, yet we do not understand why 5% of adult immune responses fail leading to the chronic state with its collateral morbid effects such as cirrhosis and eventual hepatic carcinoma. The liver environment exhibits particularly complex spatial structures for metabolic processing and corresponding distributions of nutrients and transporters that may influence successful HBV entrenchment. We assembled a multi-scaled mathematical model of the fundamental hepatic processing unit, the sinusoid, into a whole-liver representation to investigate the impact of this intrinsic spatial heterogeneity on the HBV dynamic. Our results suggest HBV may be exploiting spatial aspects of the liver environment. We distributed increased HBV replication rates coincident with elevated levels of nutrients in the sinusoid entry point (the periportal region) in tandem with similar distributions of hepatocyte transporters key to HBV invasion (e.g., the sodium-taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide or NTCP), or immune system activity. According to our results, such co-alignment of spatial distributions may contribute to persistence of HBV infections, depending on spatial distributions and intensity of immune response as well. Moreover, inspired by previous HBV models and experimentalist suggestions of extra-hepatic HBV replication, we tested in our model influence of HBV blood replication and observe an overall nominal effect on persistent liver infection. Regardless, we confirm prior results showing a solo cccDNA is sufficient to re-infect an entire liver, with corresponding concerns for transplantation and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quentin Cangelosi
- Computational and Mathematical Engineering, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées, Toulouse, France
| | - Shawn A. Means
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Harvey Ho
- Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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24
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Liu B, Tang L, Zhang X, Ma J, Sehgal M, Cheng J, Zhang X, Zhou Y, Du Y, Kulp J, Guo JT, Chang J. A cell-based high throughput screening assay for the discovery of cGAS-STING pathway agonists. Antiviral Res 2017; 147:37-46. [PMID: 28982551 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Stimulator of interferon genes (STING) is an endoplasmic reticulum transmembrane protein that serves as a molecular hub for activation of interferon and inflammatory cytokine response by multiple cellular DNA sensors. Not surprisingly, STING has been demonstrated to play an important role in host defense against microorganisms and pharmacologic activation of STING is considered as an attractive strategy to treat viral diseases and boost antitumor immunity. In light of this we established a HepAD38-derived reporter cell line that expresses firefly luciferase in response to the activation of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)-STING pathway for high throughput screening (HTS) of small molecular human STING agonists. This cell-based reporter assay required only 4 h treatment with a reference STING agonist to induce a robust luciferase signal and was demonstrated to have an excellent performance in HTS format. By screening 16,000 compounds, a dispiro diketopiperzine (DSDP) compound was identified to induce cytokine response in a manner dependent on the expression of functional human STING, but not mouse STING. Moreover, we showed that DSDP induced an interferon-dominant cytokine response in human skin fibroblasts and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which in turn potently suppressed the replication of yellow fever virus, dengue virus and Zika virus. We have thus established a robust cell-based assay system suitable for rapid discovery and mechanistic analyses of cGAS-STING pathway agonists. Identification of DSDP as a human STING agonist enriches the pipelines of STING-targeting drug development for treatment of viral infections and cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowei Liu
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA; Department of Gastroenterology, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Liudi Tang
- Microbiology and Immunology Graduate Program, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Xiaohui Zhang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA; Artificial Liver Center, Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Julia Ma
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Mohit Sehgal
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Junjun Cheng
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Xuexiang Zhang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Yan Zhou
- Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Facility, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yanming Du
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - John Kulp
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA
| | - Ju-Tao Guo
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA.
| | - Jinhong Chang
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA, USA.
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25
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Discovery and Mechanistic Study of Benzamide Derivatives That Modulate Hepatitis B Virus Capsid Assembly. J Virol 2017; 91:JVI.00519-17. [PMID: 28566379 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00519-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health problem. Although the currently approved medications can reliably reduce the viral load and prevent the progression of liver diseases, they fail to cure the viral infection. In an effort toward discovery of novel antiviral agents against HBV, a group of benzamide (BA) derivatives that significantly reduced the amount of cytoplasmic HBV DNA were discovered. The initial lead optimization efforts identified two BA derivatives with improved antiviral activity for further mechanistic studies. Interestingly, similar to our previously reported sulfamoylbenzamides (SBAs), the BAs promote the formation of empty capsids through specific interaction with HBV core protein but not other viral and host cellular components. Genetic evidence suggested that both SBAs and BAs inhibited HBV nucleocapsid assembly by binding to the heteroaryldihydropyrimidine (HAP) pocket between core protein dimer-dimer interfaces. However, unlike SBAs, BA compounds uniquely induced the formation of empty capsids that migrated more slowly in native agarose gel electrophoresis from A36V mutant than from the wild-type core protein. Moreover, we showed that the assembly of chimeric capsids from wild-type and drug-resistant core proteins was susceptible to multiple capsid assembly modulators. Hence, HBV core protein is a dominant antiviral target that may suppress the selection of drug-resistant viruses during core protein-targeting antiviral therapy. Our studies thus indicate that BAs are a chemically and mechanistically unique type of HBV capsid assembly modulators and warranted for further development as antiviral agents against HBV.IMPORTANCE HBV core protein plays essential roles in many steps of the viral replication cycle. In addition to packaging viral pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) and DNA polymerase complex into nucleocapsids for reverse transcriptional DNA replication to take place, the core protein dimers, existing in several different quaternary structures in infected hepatocytes, participate in and regulate HBV virion assembly, capsid uncoating, and covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) formation. It is anticipated that small molecular core protein assembly modulators may disrupt one or multiple steps of HBV replication, depending on their interaction with the distinct quaternary structures of core protein. The discovery of novel core protein-targeting antivirals, such as benzamide derivatives reported here, and investigation of their antiviral mechanism may lead to the identification of antiviral therapeutics for the cure of chronic hepatitis B.
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26
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Nosratabadi R, Alavian SM, Zare-Bidaki M, Shahrokhi VM, Arababadi MK. Innate immunity related pathogen recognition receptors and chronic hepatitis B infection. Mol Immunol 2017; 90:64-73. [PMID: 28704708 DOI: 10.1016/j.molimm.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Innate immunity consists of several kinds of pathogen recognition receptors (PRRs), which participate in the recognition of pathogens and consequently activation of innate immune system against pathogens. Recently, several investigations reported that PRRs may also play key roles in the induction/stimulation of immune system related complications in microbial infections. Hepatitis B virus (HBV), as the main cause of viral hepatitis in human, can induce several clinical forms of hepatitis B and also might be associated with hepatic complications such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Based on the important roles of PRRs in the eradication of microbial infections including viral infections and their related complications, it appears that the molecules may be a main part of immune responses against viral infections including HBV and participate in the HBV related complications. Thus, this review article has brought together information regarding the roles of PRRs in immunity against HBV and its complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Nosratabadi
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran; Dept. of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Seyed Moayed Alavian
- Baqiyatallah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Disease, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Zare-Bidaki
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran; Dept. of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Vahid Mohammadi Shahrokhi
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran; Dept. of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran
| | - Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi
- Immunology of Infectious Diseases Research Center, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran; Dept. of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
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Pei Y, Wang C, Yan SF, Liu G. Past, Current, and Future Developments of Therapeutic Agents for Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection. J Med Chem 2017; 60:6461-6479. [PMID: 28383274 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.6b01442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
For decades, treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has been relying on interferon (IFN)-based therapies and nucleoside/nucleotide analogues (NAs) that selectively target the viral polymerase reverse transcriptase (RT) domain and thereby disrupt HBV viral DNA synthesis. We have summarized here the key steps in the HBV viral life cycle, which could potentially be targeted by novel anti-HBV therapeutics. A wide range of next-generation direct antiviral agents (DAAs) with distinct mechanisms of actions are discussed, including entry inhibitors, transcription inhibitors, nucleoside/nucleotide analogues, inhibitors of viral ribonuclease H (RNase H), modulators of viral capsid assembly, inhibitors of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) secretion, RNA interference (RNAi) gene silencers, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), and natural products. Compounds that exert their antiviral activities mainly through host factors and immunomodulation, such as host targeting agents (HTAs), programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) inhibitors, and Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, are also discussed. In this Perspective, we hope to provide an overview, albeit by no means being comprehensive, for the recent development of novel therapeutic agents for the treatment of chronic HBV infection, which not only are able to sustainably suppress viral DNA but also aim to achieve functional cure warranted by HBsAg loss and ultimately lead to virus eradication and cure of hepatitis B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yameng Pei
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chunting Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China
| | - S Frank Yan
- Molecular Design and Chemical Biology, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Shanghai , Shanghai 201203, China
| | - Gang Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China
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Metabolite identification of bentysrepinine (Y101), a novel anti-HBV agent in rats using a five-step strategy based on a combined workflow with two different platforms of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2016; 1040:118-128. [PMID: 27978466 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2016.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2016] [Revised: 11/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Bentysrepinine (Y101), a derivative of repensine (a compound isolated from Dichondrarepens Forst), is a novel phenyalanine dipeptide inhibiting DNA-HBV and cccDNA activities and is currently under development for the treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected hepatitis. Our previous study implied that there might be an existence of extensive metabolism of Y101 in rats. Therefore, it is necessary to perform metabolic profiling study to further evaluate its safety and drug-like properties. In this study, the metabolism of Y101 in rats was investigated by a convincible five-step strategy to characterize metabolites in plasma and that excreted into urine, bile and feces. The five-step strategy was realized by using an combined workflow on two different MS platforms, including various scan modes of liquid chromatography with hybrid quadruple-linear ion trap mass spectrometry (LC-QTRAP-MS/MS) and various post-acquiring data mining tools of liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS/MS). QTOF MS/MS was employed as a powerful complementary tool to enable high confidence of metabolites identification using its functions of accurate MS and MS/MS fragmentation. As a result, a total of 30 metabolites were detected, including 25 phase I and 5 phase II metabolites. Among them, four primary metabolites (M6-M9) were further identified by comparing with the authentic standards chemically synthesized. The possible metabolic pathways of Y101 in rats were proposed to be amide hydrolysis, monohydroxylation, dihydroxylation, N-oxidation, demethylation, methylation, glucosidation and glucuronidation. This is the first study of the metabolism of Y101 in rats. The five-step strategy was successfully used to systematically characterize metabolites of Y101 in rats, and it would be generally applied for metabolite identification of new drug candidate.
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Tang L, Zhao Q, Wu S, Cheng J, Chang J, Guo JT. The current status and future directions of hepatitis B antiviral drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2016; 12:5-15. [PMID: 27797587 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2017.1255195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The current standard care of chronic hepatitis B fails to induce a durable off-drug control of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication in the majority of treated patients. The primary reasons are its inability to eliminate the covalently closed circular (ccc) DNA, the nuclear form of HBV genome, and restoration of the dysfunctional host antiviral immune response against the virus. Accordingly, discovery and development of therapeutics to completely stop HBV replication, eliminate or functionally inactivate cccDNA as well as activate a functional antiviral immune response against HBV are the primary efforts for finding a cure for chronic hepatitis B. Area covered: Herein, the authors highlight the current efforts of HBV drug discovery and offer their opinions for the future directions of this research. Expert opinion: The authors believe that through a consecutive or overlapping three-stage antiviral and immunotherapy program to: (i) completely stop HBV replication and cccDNA amplification; (ii) reduce viral antigen load and induce HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance through eradication or inactivation of cccDNA and RNA interference-mediated degradation of viral mRNA and (iii) activate a functional antiviral immune response against HBV through therapeutic immunization or immunotherapy, a functional cure of chronic HBV infection can be achieved in the majority of chronic HBV carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liudi Tang
- a Microbiology and Immunology graduate program , Drexel University College of medicine , Philadelphia , PA , USA
| | - Qiong Zhao
- b Baruch S. Blumberg Institute , Hepatitis B foundation , Philadelphia , PA , USA
| | - Shuo Wu
- b Baruch S. Blumberg Institute , Hepatitis B foundation , Philadelphia , PA , USA
| | - Junjun Cheng
- b Baruch S. Blumberg Institute , Hepatitis B foundation , Philadelphia , PA , USA
| | - Jinhong Chang
- b Baruch S. Blumberg Institute , Hepatitis B foundation , Philadelphia , PA , USA
| | - Ju-Tao Guo
- b Baruch S. Blumberg Institute , Hepatitis B foundation , Philadelphia , PA , USA
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Pham EA, Perumpail RB, Fram BJ, Glenn JS, Ahmed A, Gish RG. Future Therapy for Hepatitis B Virus: Role of Immunomodulators. CURRENT HEPATOLOGY REPORTS 2016; 15:237-244. [PMID: 27917363 PMCID: PMC5112294 DOI: 10.1007/s11901-016-0315-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Although currently available therapies for chronic hepatitis B virus infection can suppress viremia and provide long-term benefits for patients, they do not lead to a functional cure for most patients. Advances in our understanding of the virus-host interaction and the recent remarkable success of immunotherapy in cancer offer new and promising strategies for developing immune modulators that may become important components of a total therapeutic approach to hepatitis B, some of which are now in clinical development. Among the immunomodulatory agents currently being investigated to combat chronic HBV are toll-like receptor agonists, immune checkpoint inhibitors, therapeutic vaccines, and engineered T cells. The efficacy of some immune modulatory therapies is compromised by high viral antigen levels. Cutting edge strategies, including RNA interference and CRISPR/Cas9, are now being studied that may ultimately be shown to have the capacity to lower viral antigen levels sufficiently to substantially increase the efficacy of these agents. The current advances in therapies for chronic hepatitis B are leading us toward the possibility of a functional cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward A. Pham
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Ryan B. Perumpail
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Benjamin J. Fram
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Glenn
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
- Veterans Administration Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Aijaz Ahmed
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
| | - Robert G. Gish
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA USA
- Hepatitis B Foundation, Doylestown, PA USA
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Agrawal B, Kumar R. Symbiotic chemo- and immuno-therapy for hepatitis B and C viruses. World J Gastroenterol 2016; 22:5623-5626. [PMID: 27433078 PMCID: PMC4932200 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i25.5623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/13/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV), both cause serious chronic infections leading to fatal liver diseases. The prototype therapy for both HBV and HCV was based on IFN-α with or without ribavirin. The advent of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) for both HBV and HCV has remarkably improved the standard of treatment for both infections. While HCV can be eliminated following combination DAA therapy, HBV persists even after treatment, requiring life-long therapy with DAAs. Treatment with DAAs is also associated with high cost, the development of resistance and side effects. There is ample published evidence that both HBV and HCV can be eliminated from infected host cells through non-cytolytic immune mechanisms. We need to identify the mechanisms behind this successful elimination of replicating viruses and develop them into novel immunotherapeutic regimens. Moreover, a synergy of, chemo- and immuno-therapeutic strategies will be necessary to eradicate HBV or HCV from a host.
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Sepehri Z, Kiani Z, Alavian SM, Arababadi MK, Kennedy D. The link between TLR7 signaling and hepatitis B virus infection. Life Sci 2016; 158:63-9. [PMID: 27373425 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2016.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 06/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Toll-Like Receptors (TLRs) play crucial roles in recognition and induction of appropriate immune responses against viral infections, including hepatitis B. TLR7 detects intracellular viral single strand RNA which leads to the activation of several pro-inflammatory transcription factors via the MYD88 dependent pathway. Patients with prolonged infectious forms of hepatitis B, including active and inactive chronic forms, are unable to clear HBV from hepatocytes completely. It is believed that the differences in genetic and immunological parameters of the patients and clearance subjects, who successfully clear HBV infections, are the main factors responsible for allowing the long term infections to persist. It appears that defective expression of TLR7 may result in impaired immune responses against HBV. The aim of this review is to address the recent information regarding the crucial roles played by TLR7 in hepatitis B infection and also the main mechanisms used by HBV to escape from recognition by TLR7 in prolonged HBV infected patients. Considering that chronic hepatitis B infection is not yet curable, it could be possible to activate TLR7-related immunological pathways as a therapy directed towards persistent HBV infection. Hence, another aim of this study is to present recent developments of TLR7 agonists as a therapeutic strategy for chronic hepatitis B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Sepehri
- Department of Internal Medicine, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran
| | - Zohre Kiani
- Zabol Medicinal Plant Research Center, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran; Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Seyed Moayed Alavian
- Baqiyatollah Research Center for Gastroenterology and Liver Diseases, Baqiyatollah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Kazemi Arababadi
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Paramedicine, Rafsanjan University of Medical Sciences, Rafsanjan, Iran.
| | - Derek Kennedy
- School of Natural Sciences, Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
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Block TM, Alter HJ, London WT, Bray M. A historical perspective on the discovery and elucidation of the hepatitis B virus. Antiviral Res 2016; 131:109-23. [PMID: 27107897 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2016.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The discovery in 1965 of the "Australia antigen," subsequently identified as the hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg), was such a watershed event in virology that it is often thought to mark the beginning of hepatitis research, but it is more accurately seen as a critical breakthrough in a long effort to understand the pathogenesis of infectious hepatitis. A century earlier, Virchow provided an authoritative explanation of "catarrhal jaundice," which did not consider an infectious etiology, but the transmission of jaundice by human serum was clearly identified in two outbreaks in 1885, and the distinction between "infectious" and "serum" hepatitis was recognized by the early 1920s. The inability to culture a virus or reproduce either syndrome in laboratory animals led to numerous studies in human volunteers; by the end of World War II, it was known that the diseases were caused by different filterable agents, and the terms "hepatitis A" and "B" were introduced in 1947 (though some long-incubation cases then designated B must in retrospect have been hepatitis C). The development of a number of liver function tests during the 1950s led to the recognition of anicteric infections and the existence of chronic carriers, but little more could be done until an infectious agent had been identified. Once Blumberg and colleagues had found a specific viral marker, the vast amount of accumulated epidemiologic and clinical data, together with huge numbers of stored serum samples, enabled rapid progress in understanding hepatitis B, and revealed the existence of a vast population of chronically infected people in Asia, Oceania and Africa. In this article, we place the identification of the Australia antigen within the historical context of research on viral hepatitis. Following a chronological review from 1865 to 1965, we summarize how the discovery led to improved safety of blood transfusion, the development of a highly effective vaccine and the eventual identification of the hepatitis C, D and E viruses. This article forms part of a symposium in Antiviral Research on "An unfinished story: from the discovery of the Australia antigen to the development of new curative therapies for chronic hepatitis B."
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy M Block
- Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, 3805 Old Easton Road, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA.
| | - Harvey J Alter
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Mike Bray
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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Du Y, Du T, Shi Y, Zhang A, Zhang C, Diao Y, Jin G, Zhou EM. Synthetic Toll-like receptor 7 ligand inhibits porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection in primary porcine alveolar macrophages. Antiviral Res 2016; 131:9-18. [PMID: 27079946 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2016.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Revised: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), a common viral pathogen, causes huge annual economic losses to the swine industry worldwide. After triggering by specific ligands, the Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), a type of pattern-recognition receptor (PRR), induces antiviral cytokines production. Previously, we synthesized an adenine analog, designated SZU101, a TLR7-specific ligand. In this study, we assessed the inhibitory effect of SZU101 on PRRSV infection in vitro. SZU101 significantly suppressed PRRSV infection in primary porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs) in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, SZU101-induced inhibition involved NF-κB pathway activation in PAMs to initiate expression of TLR7-mediated cytokines and induce expression of downstream signaling IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs). Chloroquine, a TLR7 inhibitor, and BAY 11-7082, an NF-κB inhibitor, reversed both the SZU101-induced antiviral effect and induction of cytokine genes and ISGs expression. Therefore, SZU101 antiviral effects depend at least in part on TLR7-NF-κB signaling pathway. Additionally, administration of SZU101 enhanced the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses against PRRSV antigens in mice. Given these results, SZU101 holds promise as an antiviral agent and a vaccine adjuvant to prevent PRRSV infection in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongkun Du
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Taofeng Du
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Yunpeng Shi
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Angke Zhang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Chong Zhang
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Yuwen Diao
- Cancer Research Center, National-Regional Key Technology Engineering Laboratory for Medical Ultrasound, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China; Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China.
| | - Guangyi Jin
- Cancer Research Center, National-Regional Key Technology Engineering Laboratory for Medical Ultrasound, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China; Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518060, China.
| | - En-Min Zhou
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; Experimental Station of Veterinary Pharmacology and Veterinary Biotechnology, Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
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35
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Morgnanesi D, Heinrichs EJ, Mele AR, Wilkinson S, Zhou S, Kulp JL. A computational chemistry perspective on the current status and future direction of hepatitis B antiviral drug discovery. Antiviral Res 2015; 123:204-15. [PMID: 26477294 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2015.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2015] [Revised: 10/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Computational chemical biology, applied to research on hepatitis B virus (HBV), has two major branches: bioinformatics (statistical models) and first-principle methods (molecular physics). While bioinformatics focuses on statistical tools and biological databases, molecular physics uses mathematics and chemical theory to study the interactions of biomolecules. Three computational techniques most commonly used in HBV research are homology modeling, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics. Homology modeling is a computational simulation to predict protein structure and has been used to construct conformers of the viral polymerase (reverse transcriptase domain and RNase H domain) and the HBV X protein. Molecular docking is used to predict the most likely orientation of a ligand when it is bound to a protein, as well as determining an energy score of the docked conformation. Molecular dynamics is a simulation that analyzes biomolecule motions and determines conformation and stability patterns. All of these modeling techniques have aided in the understanding of resistance mutations on HBV non-nucleos(t)ide reverse-transcriptase inhibitor binding. Finally, bioinformatics can be used to study the DNA and RNA protein sequences of viruses to both analyze drug resistance and to genotype the viral genomes. Overall, with these techniques, and others, computational chemical biology is becoming more and more necessary in hepatitis B research. This article forms part of a symposium in Antiviral Research on "An unfinished story: from the discovery of the Australia antigen to the development of new curative therapies for hepatitis B."
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante Morgnanesi
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - Eric J Heinrichs
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - Anthony R Mele
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - Sean Wilkinson
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - Suzanne Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA
| | - John L Kulp
- Department of Chemistry, Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, Doylestown, PA 18902, USA.
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36
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Zhang E, Kosinska A, Lu M, Yan H, Roggendorf M. Current status of immunomodulatory therapy in chronic hepatitis B, fifty years after discovery of the virus: Search for the "magic bullet" to kill cccDNA. Antiviral Res 2015; 123:193-203. [PMID: 26476376 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is currently treated with IFN-α and nucleos(t)ide analogues, which have many clinical benefits, but there is no ultimate cure. The major problem consists in the persistence of cccDNA in infected hepatocytes. Because no antiviral drug has been evaluated which significantly reduces copies of cccDNA, cytolytic and noncytolytic approaches are needed. Effective virus-specific T- and B-cell responses remain crucial in eliminating cccDNA-carrying hepatocytes and for the long-term control of HBV infection. Reduction of viremia by antiviral drugs provides a window for reconstitution of an HBV-specific immune response. Preclinical studies in mice and woodchucks have shown that immunostimulatory strategies, such as prime-boost vaccination and PD-1 blockade, can boost a weak virus-specific T cell response and lead to effective control of HBV infection. Based on data obtained in our preclinical studies, the combination of antiviral drugs and immunomodulators may control HBV viremia during a patient's drug-off period. In this article, we review current immune-modulatory approaches for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and the elimination of cccDNA in preclinical models. This article forms part of a symposium in Antiviral Research on "An unfinished story: from the discovery of the Australia antigen to the development of new curative therapies for hepatitis".
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Affiliation(s)
- Ejuan Zhang
- Mucosal Immunity Research Group, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Anna Kosinska
- Institute of Virology, Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany
| | - Mengji Lu
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Huimin Yan
- Mucosal Immunity Research Group, State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Michael Roggendorf
- Institute of Virology, Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany; Institute for Virology, University Hospital of Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
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37
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Clark DN, Hu J. Hepatitis B virus reverse transcriptase - Target of current antiviral therapy and future drug development. Antiviral Res 2015; 123:132-7. [PMID: 26408354 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2015.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections rely on the proper functioning of the viral polymerase enzyme, a specialized reverse transcriptase (RT) with multiple activities. All currently approved antiviral drugs for the treatment of chronic HBV infection, except for interferon, target the RT and belong to the same chemical class - they are all nucleoside analogs. Viral DNA synthesis is carried out by the RT enzyme in several different steps, each with distinct RT conformational requirements. In principle, each stage may be targeted by distinct antiviral drugs. In particular, the HBV RT has the unique ability to initiate viral DNA synthesis using itself as a protein primer in a novel protein priming reaction. In order to help identify RT inhibitors and study their mechanisms of action, a number of experimental systems have been developed, each varying in its ability to dissect the protein priming stage and subsequent stages of viral DNA synthesis at the molecular level. Two of the most effective drugs to date, entecavir and tenofovir, can inhibit both the protein priming and the subsequent DNA elongation stages of HBV DNA synthesis. Interestingly, clevudine, a thymidine analog, can inhibit both protein priming and DNA elongation in a non-competitive manner and without being incorporated into the viral DNA. Thus, a nucleoside RT inhibitor (NRTI) can functionally mimic a non-NRTI (NNRTI) in its inhibition of the HBV RT. Therefore, novel NRTIs as well as NNRTIs may be developed to inhibit the DNA synthesis activity of the HBV RT. Furthermore, additional activities of the RT that are also essential to HBV replication, including specific recognition of the viral RNA and its packaging into viral nucleocapsids, may be exploited for antiviral development. To achieve a more potent inhibition of viral replication and ultimately cure chronic HBV infection, the next generation of anti-HBV therapies will likely need to include NRTIs, NNRTIs, and other agents that target the viral RT as well as other viral and host factors in various combinations. This article forms part of a symposium in Antiviral Research on "An unfinished story: from the discovery of the Australia antigen to the development of new curative therapies for hepatitis B."
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel N Clark
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, United States.
| | - Jianming Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, United States
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38
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Isorce N, Lucifora J, Zoulim F, Durantel D. Immune-modulators to combat hepatitis B virus infection: From IFN-α to novel investigational immunotherapeutic strategies. Antiviral Res 2015; 122:69-81. [PMID: 26275801 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2015.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major challenge for clinicians, as there are only two types of approved therapies: interferon-alpha (IFN-α) or its pegylated form, Peg-IFN-α and nucleoside analogs (e.g. tenofovir, entecavir...). The first are used as finite-duration treatments of around 48-52 weeks, while the second must be taken life-long to prevent rebound. Other immune-modulators, including other types of recombinant IFNs and cytokines/chemokines, could be developed for treating chronic hepatitis B. Alternatively, strategies aimed either at restoring or favoring the endogenous production of IFNs, cytokines and/or chemokines, or at alleviating HBV-mediated inhibitory processes could also be envisaged. In this article, we review current investigational, preclinical and clinical efforts to implement immune-modulatory components in the therapy of chronic hepatitis B. This review forms part of a symposium in Antiviral Research on "An unfinished story: from the discovery of the Australia antigen to the development of new curative therapies for hepatitis B".
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie Isorce
- INSERM, U1052, CNRS UMR_5286, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France; University of Lyon, Université Claude Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
| | - Julie Lucifora
- INSERM, U1052, CNRS UMR_5286, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France; University of Lyon, Université Claude Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France
| | - Fabien Zoulim
- INSERM, U1052, CNRS UMR_5286, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France; University of Lyon, Université Claude Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France; Labex DEVweCAN, Lyon, France; Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), Croix-Rousse Hospital, Lyon, France
| | - David Durantel
- INSERM, U1052, CNRS UMR_5286, Cancer Research Centre of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon, France; University of Lyon, Université Claude Bernard (UCBL), Lyon, France; Labex DEVweCAN, Lyon, France.
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