|
1
|
Potaczek DP, Unger SD, Zhang N, Taka S, Michel S, Akdağ N, Lan F, Helfer M, Hudemann C, Eickmann M, Skevaki C, Megremis S, Sadewasser A, Alashkar Alhamwe B, Alhamdan F, Akdis M, Edwards MR, Johnston SL, Akdis CA, Becker S, Bachert C, Papadopoulos NG, Garn H, Renz H. Development and characterization of DNAzyme candidates demonstrating significant efficiency against human rhinoviruses. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2018; 143:1403-1415. [PMID: 30114391 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infections with human rhinoviruses (RVs) are responsible for millions of common cold episodes and the majority of asthma exacerbations, especially in childhood. No drugs specifically targeting RVs are available. OBJECTIVE We sought to identify specific anti-RV molecules based on DNAzyme technology as candidates to a clinical study. METHODS A total of 226 candidate DNAzymes were designed against 2 regions of RV RNA genome identified to be sufficiently highly conserved between virus strains (ie, the 5'-untranslated region and cis-acting replication element) by using 3 test strains: RVA1, RVA16, and RVA29. All DNAzymes were screened for their cleavage efficiency against in vitro-expressed viral RNA. Those showing any catalytic activity were subjected to bioinformatic analysis of their reverse complementarity to 322 published RV genomic sequences. Further molecular optimization was conducted for the most promising candidates. Cytotoxic and off-target effects were excluded in HEK293 cell-based systems. Antiviral efficiency was analyzed in infected human bronchial BEAS-2B cells and ex vivo-cultured human sinonasal tissue. RESULTS Screening phase-generated DNAzymes characterized by either good catalytic activity or by high RV strain coverage but no single molecule represented a satisfactory combination of those 2 features. Modifications in length of the binding domains of 2 lead candidates, Dua-01(-L12R9) and Dua-02(-L10R11), improved their cleavage efficiency to an excellent level, with no loss in eminent strain coverage (about 98%). Both DNAzymes showed highly favorable cytotoxic/off-target profiles. Subsequent testing of Dua-01-L12R9 in BEAS-2B cells and sinonasal tissue demonstrated its significant antiviral efficiency. CONCLUSIONS Effective and specific management of RV infections with Dua-01-L12R9 might be useful in preventing asthma exacerbations, which should be verified by clinical trials.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel P Potaczek
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), and the inVIVO Planetary Health, Group of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Marburg, Germany; PreDicta Consortium; John Paul II Hospital, Krakow, Poland
| | - Sebastian D Unger
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), and the inVIVO Planetary Health, Group of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Marburg, Germany; PreDicta Consortium
| | - Nan Zhang
- PreDicta Consortium; Upper Airway Research Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Styliani Taka
- PreDicta Consortium; Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit, 2nd Pediatric Clinic, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Sven Michel
- Secarna Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Planegg, Germany
| | - Nesibe Akdağ
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), and the inVIVO Planetary Health, Group of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Marburg, Germany; PreDicta Consortium
| | - Feng Lan
- PreDicta Consortium; Upper Airway Research Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Christoph Hudemann
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), and the inVIVO Planetary Health, Group of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Marburg, Germany; PreDicta Consortium
| | - Markus Eickmann
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Chrysanthi Skevaki
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), and the inVIVO Planetary Health, Group of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Marburg, Germany; PreDicta Consortium
| | - Spyridon Megremis
- PreDicta Consortium; Division of Infection, Inflammation and Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Bilal Alashkar Alhamwe
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), and the inVIVO Planetary Health, Group of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Marburg, Germany; PreDicta Consortium
| | - Fahd Alhamdan
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), and the inVIVO Planetary Health, Group of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Marburg, Germany; PreDicta Consortium
| | - Mübeccel Akdis
- PreDicta Consortium; Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Michael R Edwards
- PreDicta Consortium; Airway Disease Infection Section, National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI), Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council (MRC) and Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sebastian L Johnston
- PreDicta Consortium; Airway Disease Infection Section, National Heart and Lung Institute (NHLI), Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council (MRC) and Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, London, United Kingdom
| | - Cezmi A Akdis
- PreDicta Consortium; Swiss Institute of Allergy and Asthma Research (SIAF), University of Zurich, Davos, Switzerland; Christine Kühne-Center for Allergy Research and Education (CK-CARE), Davos, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Becker
- Institute of Virology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Claus Bachert
- PreDicta Consortium; Upper Airway Research Laboratory, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Nikolaos G Papadopoulos
- PreDicta Consortium; Allergy and Clinical Immunology Unit, 2nd Pediatric Clinic, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Division of Infection, Inflammation and Respiratory Medicine, University of Manchester, London, United Kingdom
| | - Holger Garn
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), and the inVIVO Planetary Health, Group of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Marburg, Germany; PreDicta Consortium
| | - Harald Renz
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, member of the German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), and the inVIVO Planetary Health, Group of the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), Marburg, Germany; PreDicta Consortium.
| |
Collapse
|