1
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Toon K, Kalemera MD, Palor M, Rose NJ, Takeuchi Y, Grove J, Mattiuzzo G. GB Virus B and Hepatitis C Virus, Distantly Related Hepaciviruses, Share an Entry Factor, Claudin-1. J Virol 2023; 97:e0046923. [PMID: 37310242 PMCID: PMC10373534 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00469-23] [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: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to increased and broadened screening efforts, the last decade has seen a rapid expansion in the number of viral species classified into the Hepacivirus genus. Conserved genetic features of hepaciviruses suggest that they have undergone specific adaptation and have evolved to hijack similar host proteins for efficient propagation in the liver. Here, we developed pseudotyped viruses to elucidate the entry factors of GB virus B (GBV-B), the first hepacivirus described in an animal after hepatitis C virus (HCV). GBV-B-pseudotyped viral particles (GBVBpp) were shown to be uniquely sensitive to the sera of tamarins infected with GBV-B, validating their usefulness as a surrogate for GBV-B entry studies. We screened GBVBpp infection of human hepatoma cell lines that were CRISPR/Cas9 engineered to ablate the expression of individual HCV receptors/entry factors and found that claudin-1 is essential for GBV-B infection, indicating the GBV-B and HCV share an entry factor. Our data suggest that claudin-1 facilitates HCV and GBV-B entry through distinct mechanisms since the former requires the first extracellular loop and the latter is reliant on a C-terminal region containing the second extracellular loop. The observation that claudin-1 is an entry factor shared between these two hepaciviruses suggests that the tight junction protein is of fundamental mechanistic importance during cell entry. IMPORTANCE Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major public health burden; approximately 58 million individuals have chronic HCV infection and are at risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer. To achieve the World Health Organization's target of eliminating hepatitis by 2030, new therapeutics and vaccines are needed. Understanding how HCV enters cells can inform the design of new vaccines and treatments targeting the first stage of infection. However, the HCV cell entry mechanism is complex and has been sparsely described. Studying the entry of related hepaciviruses will increase the knowledge of the molecular mechanisms of the first stages of HCV infection, such as membrane fusion, and inform structure-guided HCV vaccine design; in this work, we have identified a protein, claudin-1, that facilitates the entry of an HCV-related hepacivirus but with a mechanism not described for HCV. Similar work on other hepaciviruses may unveil a commonality of entry factors and, possibly, new mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamilla Toon
- Science Research and Innovation, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, South Mimms, United Kingdom
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mphatso D. Kalemera
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Machaela Palor
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola J. Rose
- Science Research and Innovation, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, South Mimms, United Kingdom
| | - Yasuhiro Takeuchi
- Science Research and Innovation, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, South Mimms, United Kingdom
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joe Grove
- Division of Infection and Immunity, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Giada Mattiuzzo
- Science Research and Innovation, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, South Mimms, United Kingdom
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2
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Mosa A, Campo D, Khudyakov Y, AbouHaidar M, Gehring A, Zahoor A, Ball J, Urbanowicz R, Feld J. Polyvalent immunization elicits a synergistic broadly neutralizing immune response to hypervariable region 1 variants of hepatitis C virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220294120. [PMID: 37276424 PMCID: PMC10268328 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220294120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine is urgently needed. Vaccine development has been hindered by HCV's genetic diversity, particularly within the immunodominant hypervariable region 1 (HVR1). Here, we developed a strategy to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies to HVR1, which had previously been considered infeasible. We first applied a unique information theory-based measure of genetic distance to evaluate phenotypic relatedness between HVR1 variants. These distances were used to model the structure of HVR1's sequence space, which was found to have five major clusters. Variants from each cluster were used to immunize mice individually, and as a pentavalent mixture. Sera obtained following immunization neutralized every variant in a diverse HCVpp panel (n = 10), including those resistant to monovalent immunization, and at higher mean titers (1/ID50 = 435) than a glycoprotein E2 (1/ID50 = 205) vaccine. This synergistic immune response offers a unique approach to overcoming antigenic variability and may be applicable to other highly mutable viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander I. Mosa
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, M5G 2C4ON, Canada
| | - David S. Campo
- Molecular Epidemiology and Bioinformatics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta30333, Georgia
| | - Yury Khudyakov
- Molecular Epidemiology and Bioinformatics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta30333, Georgia
| | - Mounir G. AbouHaidar
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 3G5ON, Canada
| | - Adam J. Gehring
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8ON, Canada
| | - Atif Zahoor
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, M5G 2C4ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan K. Ball
- Wolfson Centre for Global Virus Infections, University of Nottingham, NottinghamNG8 1BB, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A. Urbanowicz
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, LiverpoolCH64 7TE, United Kingdom
| | - Jordan J. Feld
- Toronto Centre for Liver Disease, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, M5G 2C4ON, Canada
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3
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Ryan FJ, Norton TS, McCafferty C, Blake SJ, Stevens NE, James J, Eden GL, Tee YC, Benson SC, Masavuli MG, Yeow AEL, Abayasingam A, Agapiou D, Stevens H, Zecha J, Messina NL, Curtis N, Ignjatovic V, Monagle P, Tran H, McFadyen JD, Bull RA, Grubor-Bauk B, Lynn MA, Botten R, Barry SE, Lynn DJ. A systems immunology study comparing innate and adaptive immune responses in adults to COVID-19 mRNA and adenovirus vectored vaccines. Cell Rep Med 2023; 4:100971. [PMID: 36871558 PMCID: PMC9935276 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.100971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the molecular mechanisms that promote optimal immune responses to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is critical for future rational vaccine design. Here, we longitudinally profile innate and adaptive immune responses in 102 adults after the first, second, and third doses of mRNA or adenovirus-vectored COVID-19 vaccines. Using a multi-omics approach, we identify key differences in the immune responses induced by ChAdOx1-S and BNT162b2 that correlate with antigen-specific antibody and T cell responses or vaccine reactogenicity. Unexpectedly, we observe that vaccination with ChAdOx1-S, but not BNT162b2, induces an adenoviral vector-specific memory response after the first dose, which correlates with the expression of proteins with roles in thrombosis with potential implications for thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), a rare but serious adverse event linked to adenovirus-vectored vaccines. The COVID-19 Vaccine Immune Responses Study thus represents a major resource that can be used to understand the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of these COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feargal J Ryan
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Todd S Norton
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Conor McCafferty
- Haematology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Stephen J Blake
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Natalie E Stevens
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Jane James
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Georgina L Eden
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Yee C Tee
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Saoirse C Benson
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Makutiro G Masavuli
- Viral Immunology Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, SA 5011, Australia
| | - Arthur E L Yeow
- Viral Immunology Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, SA 5011, Australia
| | - Arunasingam Abayasingam
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; The Kirby Institute, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | | | - Hannah Stevens
- Clinical Haematology Department, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - Jana Zecha
- Dynamic Omics, Centre for Genomics Research, Discovery Sciences, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA
| | - Nicole L Messina
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Nigel Curtis
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Vera Ignjatovic
- Haematology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Paul Monagle
- Haematology Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Huyen Tran
- Clinical Haematology Department, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Australian Centre for Blood Diseases, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC 3800, Australia
| | - James D McFadyen
- Clinical Haematology Department, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Atherothrombosis and Vascular Biology Program, Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Rowena A Bull
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; The Kirby Institute, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Branka Grubor-Bauk
- Viral Immunology Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, SA 5011, Australia
| | - Miriam A Lynn
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Rochelle Botten
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia
| | - Simone E Barry
- Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - David J Lynn
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia.
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4
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Frumento N, Figueroa A, Wang T, Zahid MN, Wang S, Massaccesi G, Stavrakis G, Crowe JE, Flyak AI, Ji H, Ray SC, Shaw GM, Cox AL, Bailey JR. Repeated exposure to heterologous hepatitis C viruses associates with enhanced neutralizing antibody breadth and potency. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:e160058. [PMID: 35588376 PMCID: PMC9337827 DOI: 10.1172/jci160058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
A prophylactic hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine that elicits neutralizing antibodies could be key to HCV eradication. However, the genetic and antigenic properties of HCV envelope (E1E2) proteins capable of inducing anti-HCV broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) in humans have not been defined. Here, we investigated the development of bNAbs in longitudinal plasma of HCV-infected persons with persistent infection or spontaneous clearance of multiple reinfections. By measuring plasma antibody neutralization of a heterologous virus panel, we found that the breadth and potency of the antibody response increased upon exposure to multiple genetically distinct infections and with longer duration of viremia. Greater genetic divergence between infecting strains was not associated with enhanced neutralizing breadth. Rather, repeated exposure to antigenically related, antibody-sensitive E1E2s was associated with potent bNAb induction. These data reveal that a prime-boost vaccine strategy with genetically distinct, antibody-sensitive viruses is a promising approach to inducing potent bNAbs in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tingchang Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Muhammad N. Zahid
- University of Bahrain, Department of Biology, College of Science, Sakhir Campus, Bahrain
| | - Shuyi Wang
- Department of Medicine and
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | | | - James E. Crowe
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology
- Department of Pediatrics, and
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Andrew I. Flyak
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Hongkai Ji
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | | | - George M. Shaw
- Department of Medicine and
- Department of Microbiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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5
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Garcia-Valtanen P, Hope CM, Masavuli MG, Yeow AEL, Balachandran H, Mekonnen ZA, Al-Delfi Z, Abayasingam A, Agapiou D, Stella AO, Aggarwal A, Bouras G, Gummow J, Ferguson C, O'Connor S, McCartney EM, Lynn DJ, Maddern G, Gowans EJ, Reddi BAJ, Shaw D, Kok-Lim C, Beard MR, Weiskopf D, Sette A, Turville SG, Bull RA, Barry SC, Grubor-Bauk B. SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant escapes neutralizing antibodies and T cell responses more efficiently than other variants in mild COVID-19 convalescents. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100651. [PMID: 35654046 PMCID: PMC9110310 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescents living in regions with low vaccination rates rely on post-infection immunity for protection against re-infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We evaluate humoral and T cell immunity against five variants of concern (VOCs) in mild-COVID-19 convalescents at 12 months after infection with ancestral virus. In this cohort, ancestral, receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific antibody and circulating memory B cell levels are conserved in most individuals, and yet serum neutralization against live B.1.1.529 (Omicron) is completely abrogated and significantly reduced for other VOCs. Likewise, ancestral SARS-CoV-2-specific memory T cell frequencies are maintained in >50% of convalescents, but the cytokine response in these cells to mutated spike epitopes corresponding to B.1.1.529 and B.1.351 (Beta) VOCs were impaired. These results indicate that increased antigen variability in VOCs impairs humoral and spike-specific T cell immunity post-infection, strongly suggesting that COVID-19 convalescents are vulnerable and at risk of re-infection with VOCs, thus stressing the importance of vaccination programs. Most mild COVID-19 convalescents maintain immunity at 12 months after disease onset B.1.1.529 escapes antibodies in convalescents infected with ancestral SARS-CoV-2 SARS-CoV-2 VOCs can partially avoid recognition by antigen-specific T cells Antigenic drift in SARS-CoV-2 VOCs significantly challenges convalescent immunity
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Garcia-Valtanen
- Viral Immunology Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Christopher M Hope
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Women's and Children's Health Network, North Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Makutiro G Masavuli
- Viral Immunology Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Arthur Eng Lip Yeow
- Viral Immunology Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - Zelalem A Mekonnen
- Viral Immunology Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Zahraa Al-Delfi
- Viral Immunology Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | | | - David Agapiou
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW, Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Anupriya Aggarwal
- The Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - George Bouras
- Adelaide Medical School, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; The Department of Surgery - Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Adelaide and the Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Woodville South, SA, Australia
| | - Jason Gummow
- Gene Silencing and Expression Core Facility, Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Catherine Ferguson
- Infectious Diseases Department, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Stephanie O'Connor
- Intensive Care Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network and Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Erin M McCartney
- Infectious Diseases Department, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - David J Lynn
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia; Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA 5042, Australia
| | - Guy Maddern
- Discipline of Surgery, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia
| | - Eric J Gowans
- Viral Immunology Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Benjamin A J Reddi
- Intensive Care Unit, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network and Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - David Shaw
- Infectious Diseases Department, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Central Adelaide Local Health Network, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Chuan Kok-Lim
- Gene Silencing and Expression Core Facility, Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Department, SA Pathology, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Michael R Beard
- Research Centre for Infectious Diseases, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Daniela Weiskopf
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI), La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Stuart G Turville
- The Kirby Institute, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Rowena A Bull
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW, Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Simon C Barry
- Molecular Immunology, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; Women's and Children's Health Network, North Adelaide, SA, Australia.
| | - Branka Grubor-Bauk
- Viral Immunology Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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6
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Echeverría N, Comas V, Aldunate F, Perbolianachis P, Moreno P, Cristina J. In the era of rapid mRNA-based vaccines: Why is there no effective hepatitis C virus vaccine yet? World J Hepatol 2021; 13:1234-1268. [PMID: 34786164 PMCID: PMC8568586 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v13.i10.1234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for no less than 71 million people chronically infected and is one of the most frequent indications for liver transplantation worldwide. Despite direct-acting antiviral therapies fuel optimism in controlling HCV infections, there are several obstacles regarding treatment accessibility and reinfection continues to remain a possibility. Indeed, the majority of new HCV infections in developed countries occur in people who inject drugs and are more plausible to get reinfected. To achieve global epidemic control of this virus the development of an effective prophylactic or therapeutic vaccine becomes a must. The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic led to auspicious vaccine development against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, which has renewed interest on fighting HCV epidemic with vaccination. The aim of this review is to highlight the current situation of HCV vaccine candidates designed to prevent and/or to reduce HCV infectious cases and their complications. We will emphasize on some of the crossroads encountered during vaccine development against this insidious virus, together with some key aspects of HCV immunology which have, so far, hampered the progress in this area. The main focus will be on nucleic acid-based as well as recombinant viral vector-based vaccine candidates as the most novel vaccine approaches, some of which have been recently and successfully employed for SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Finally, some ideas will be presented on which methods to explore for the design of live-attenuated vaccines against HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Echeverría
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Victoria Comas
- Departamento de Desarrollo Biotecnológico, Instituto de Higiene, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - Fabián Aldunate
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Paula Perbolianachis
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Pilar Moreno
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Juan Cristina
- Laboratorio de Virología Molecular, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay.
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7
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Where to Next? Research Directions after the First Hepatitis C Vaccine Efficacy Trial. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071351. [PMID: 34372558 PMCID: PMC8310243 DOI: 10.3390/v13071351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Thirty years after its discovery, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. Given that many countries continue to experience high rates of transmission despite the availability of potent antiviral therapies, an effective vaccine is seen as critical for the elimination of HCV. The recent failure of the first vaccine efficacy trial for the prevention of chronic HCV confirmed suspicions that this virus will be a challenging vaccine target. Here, we examine the published data from this first efficacy trial along with the earlier clinical and pre-clinical studies of the vaccine candidate and then discuss three key research directions expected to be important in ongoing and future HCV vaccine development. These include the following: 1. design of novel immunogens that generate immune responses to genetically diverse HCV genotypes and subtypes, 2. strategies to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies against envelope glycoproteins in addition to cytotoxic and helper T cell responses, and 3. consideration of the unique immunological status of individuals most at risk for HCV infection, including those who inject drugs, in vaccine platform development and early immunogenicity trials.
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8
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Abayasingam A, Balachandran H, Agapiou D, Hammoud M, Rodrigo C, Keoshkerian E, Li H, Brasher NA, Christ D, Rouet R, Burnet D, Grubor-Bauk B, Rawlinson W, Turville S, Aggarwal A, Stella AO, Fichter C, Brilot F, Mina M, Post JJ, Hudson B, Gilroy N, Dwyer D, Sasson SC, Tea F, Pilli D, Kelleher A, Tedla N, Lloyd AR, Martinello M, Bull RA. Long-term persistence of RBD + memory B cells encoding neutralizing antibodies in SARS-CoV-2 infection. CELL REPORTS MEDICINE 2021; 2:100228. [PMID: 33748788 PMCID: PMC7955929 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2021.100228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Considerable concerns relating to the duration of protective immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) exist, with evidence of antibody titers declining rapidly after infection and reports of reinfection. Here, we monitor the antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) for up to 6 months after infection. While antibody titers are maintained, ∼13% of the cohort’s neutralizing responses return to background. However, encouragingly, in a selected subset of 13 participants, 12 have detectable RBD-specific memory B cells and these generally are increasing out to 6 months. Furthermore, we are able to generate monoclonal antibodies with SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing capacity from these memory B cells. Overall, our study suggests that the loss of neutralizing antibodies in plasma may be countered by the maintenance of neutralizing capacity in the memory B cell repertoire. Decay of antibody binding to RBD and spike antigen after 6 months 11 of 81 (13.6%) participants revert to background neutralizing levels Despite declining antibody titers, robust memory B cell populations are observed Memory B cells retain potent neutralizing capacity
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Affiliation(s)
- Arunasingam Abayasingam
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Harikrishnan Balachandran
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - David Agapiou
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Chaturaka Rodrigo
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Hui Li
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Nicholas A. Brasher
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel Christ
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst 2010, NSW, Australia
| | - Romain Rouet
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst 2010, NSW, Australia
| | - Deborah Burnet
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst 2010, NSW, Australia
| | - Branka Grubor-Bauk
- Virology Laboratory, Discipline of Surgery, The University of Adelaide and Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Health Research, Adelaide 5011, SA, Australia
| | - William Rawlinson
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Serology and Virology Division, Department of Microbiology, NSW Health Pathology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Fabienne Brilot
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain Autoimmunity Group, Kids Neurosciences Centre, Kids Research at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Mina
- Northern Beaches Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Jeffrey J. Post
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW Australia
| | | | | | | | | | - Fiona Tea
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain Autoimmunity Group, Kids Neurosciences Centre, Kids Research at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Deepti Pilli
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain Autoimmunity Group, Kids Neurosciences Centre, Kids Research at the Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Nicodemus Tedla
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | | | - Marianne Martinello
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Westmead Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Blacktown Mt Druitt Hospital, Blacktown, NSW, Australia
| | - Rowena A. Bull
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Corresponding author
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9
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Noman A, Aqeel M, Khalid N, Hashem M, Alamari S, Zafar S, Qasim M, Irshad MK, Qari SH. Spike glycoproteins: Their significance for corona viruses and receptor binding activities for pathogenesis and viral survival. Microb Pathog 2020; 150:104719. [PMID: 33373693 PMCID: PMC7764473 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2020.104719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The recent outbreak of Covid-19 is posing a severe threat to public health globally. Coronaviruses (CoVs) are the largest known group of positive-sense RNA viruses surviving on an extensive number of natural hosts. CoVs are enveloped and non-segmented viruses with a size between 80 and 120 nm. CoV attachment to the surface receptor and its subsequent entrance into cells is mediated by Spike glycoprotein (S). For enhanced CoV entry and successful pathogenesis of CoV, proteolytic processing and receptor-binding act synergistically for induction of large-scale S conformational changes. The shape, size and orientation of receptor-binding domains in viral attachment proteins are well conserved among viruses of different classes that utilize the same receptor. Therefore, investigations unraveling the distribution of cellular receptors with respect to CoV entry, structural aspects of glycoproteins and related conformational changes are highly significant for understanding virus invasion and infection spread. We present the characteristic features of CoV S-Proteins, their significance for CoVs and related receptor binding activities for pathogenesis and viral survival. We are analyzing the novel role of S-protein of CoVs along with their interactive receptors for improving host immunity and decreasing infection spread. This is hoped that presented information will open new ways in tackling coronavirus, especially for the ongoing epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Noman
- Department of Botany, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
| | - Muhammad Aqeel
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agroecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, Gansu, PR China.
| | - Noreen Khalid
- Department of Botany, Government College Women University Sialkot, Sialkot, Pakistan
| | - Mohamed Hashem
- King Khalid University, College of Science, Department of Biology, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia; Assiut University, Faculty of Science, Botany and Microbiology Department, Assiut, 71516, Egypt
| | - Saad Alamari
- King Khalid University, College of Science, Department of Biology, Abha, 61413, Saudi Arabia; Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Center for Environmental and Tourism Research and Studies, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saad Zafar
- District Headquarters Hospital, Faisalabad Medical University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Qasim
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects, Institute of Insect Sciences, College of Agriculture & Biotechnology, Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China
| | - Muhammad Kashif Irshad
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Sameer H Qari
- Biology Department, Aljumum University College, Umm Al - Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
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10
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Abstract
Protective vaccines for hypervariable pathogens are urgently needed. It has been proposed that amputating highly variable epitopes from vaccine antigens would induce the production of broadly protective antibodies targeting conserved epitopes. However, so far, these approaches have failed, partially because conserved epitopes are occluded in vivo and partially because co-localizing patterns of immunodominance and antigenic variability render variable epitopes the primary target for antibodies in natural infection. In this Perspective, to recast the challenge of vaccine development for hypervariable pathogens, I evaluate convergent mechanisms of adaptive variation, such as intrahost immune-mediated diversification, spatiotemporally defined antigenic space, and infection-enhancing cross-immunoreactivity. The requirements of broadly protective immune responses targeting variable pathogens are formulated in terms of cross-immunoreactivity, stoichiometric thresholds for neutralization, and the elicitation of antibodies targeting physicochemically conserved signatures within sequence variable domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander I Mosa
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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11
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Kemming J, Thimme R, Neumann-Haefelin C. Adaptive Immune Response against Hepatitis C Virus. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21165644. [PMID: 32781731 PMCID: PMC7460648 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21165644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A functional adaptive immune response is the major determinant for clearance of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, in the majority of patients, this response fails and persistent infection evolves. Here, we dissect the HCV-specific key players of adaptive immunity, namely B cells and T cells, and describe factors that affect infection outcome. Once chronic infection is established, continuous exposure to HCV antigens affects functionality, phenotype, transcriptional program, metabolism, and the epigenetics of the adaptive immune cells. In addition, viral escape mutations contribute to the failure of adaptive antiviral immunity. Direct-acting antivirals (DAA) can mediate HCV clearance in almost all patients with chronic HCV infection, however, defects in adaptive immune cell populations remain, only limited functional memory is obtained and reinfection of cured individuals is possible. Thus, to avoid potential reinfection and achieve global elimination of HCV infections, a prophylactic vaccine is needed. Recent vaccine trials could induce HCV-specific immunity but failed to protect from persistent infection. Thus, lessons from natural protection from persistent infection, DAA-mediated cure, and non-protective vaccination trials might lead the way to successful vaccination strategies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Kemming
- Department of Medicine II, Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79102 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; (J.K.); (R.T.)
- Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Schaenzlestrasse 1, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Robert Thimme
- Department of Medicine II, Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79102 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; (J.K.); (R.T.)
| | - Christoph Neumann-Haefelin
- Department of Medicine II, Freiburg University Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79102 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; (J.K.); (R.T.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-761-270-32800
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12
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Animal Models Used in Hepatitis C Virus Research. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113869. [PMID: 32485887 PMCID: PMC7312079 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The narrow range of species permissive to infection by hepatitis C virus (HCV) presents a unique challenge to the development of useful animal models for studying HCV, as well as host immune responses and development of chronic infection and disease. Following earlier studies in chimpanzees, several unique approaches have been pursued to develop useful animal models for research while avoiding the important ethical concerns and costs inherent in research with chimpanzees. Genetically related hepatotropic viruses that infect animals are being used as surrogates for HCV in research studies; chimeras of these surrogate viruses harboring specific regions of the HCV genome are being developed to improve their utility for vaccine testing. Concurrently, genetically humanized mice are being developed and continually advanced using human factors known to be involved in virus entry and replication. Further, xenotransplantation of human hepatocytes into mice allows for the direct study of HCV infection in human liver tissue in a small animal model. The current advances in each of these approaches are discussed in the present review.
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13
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Walker MR, Leung P, Eltahla AA, Underwood A, Abayasingam A, Brasher NA, Li H, Wu BR, Maher L, Luciani F, Lloyd AR, Bull RA. Clearance of hepatitis C virus is associated with early and potent but narrowly-directed, Envelope-specific antibodies. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13300. [PMID: 31527718 PMCID: PMC6746763 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49454-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of very few viruses that are either naturally cleared, or alternatively persist to cause chronic disease. Viral diversity and escape, as well as host adaptive immune factors, are believed to control the outcome. To date, there is limited understanding of the critical, early host-pathogen interactions. The asymptomatic nature of early HCV infection generally prevents identification of the transmitted/founder (T/F) virus, and thus the study of host responses directed against the autologous T/F strain. In this study, 14 rare subjects identified from very early in infection (4–45 days) with varied disease outcomes (n = 7 clearers) were examined in regard to the timing, breadth, and magnitude of the neutralizing antibody (nAb) response, as well as evolution of the T/F strain. Clearance was associated with earlier onset and more potent nAb responses appearing at a mean of 71 days post-infection (DPI), but these responses were narrowly directed against the autologous T/F virus or closely related variants. In contrast, a delayed onset of nAbs (mean 425 DPI) was observed in chronic progressors that appear to have targeted longitudinal variants rather than the T/F strain. The nAb responses in the chronic progressors mapped to known CD81 binding epitopes, and were associated with rapid emergence of new viral variants with reduced CD81 binding. We propose that the prolonged period of viremia in the absence of nAbs in these subjects was associated with an increase in viral diversity, affording the virus greater options to escape nAb pressure once it emerged. These findings indicate that timing of the nAb response is essential for clearance. Further investigation of the specificities of the early nAbs and the factors regulating early induction of protective nAbs is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie R Walker
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Preston Leung
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Auda A Eltahla
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Alexander Underwood
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Arunasingam Abayasingam
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicholas A Brasher
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Hui Li
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Bing-Ru Wu
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lisa Maher
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Fabio Luciani
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Andrew R Lloyd
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rowena A Bull
- Viral Immunology Systems Program, The Kirby Institute, Sydney, Australia. .,School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
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14
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Bailey JR, Barnes E, Cox AL. Approaches, Progress, and Challenges to Hepatitis C Vaccine Development. Gastroenterology 2019; 156:418-430. [PMID: 30268785 PMCID: PMC6340767 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2018.08.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 151] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Risk factors for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection vary, and there were an estimated 1.75 million new cases worldwide in 2015. The World Health Organization aims for a 90% reduction in new HCV infections by 2030. An HCV vaccine would prevent transmission, regardless of risk factors, and significantly reduce the global burden of HCV-associated disease. Barriers to development include virus diversity, limited models for testing vaccines, and our incomplete understanding of protective immune responses. Although highly effective vaccines could prevent infection altogether, immune responses that increase the rate of HCV clearance and prevent chronic infection may be sufficient to reduce disease burden. Adjuvant envelope or core protein and virus-vectored nonstructural antigen vaccines have been tested in healthy volunteers who are not at risk for HCV infection; viral vectors encoding nonstructural proteins are the only vaccine strategy to be tested in at-risk individuals. Despite development challenges, a prophylactic vaccine is necessary for global control of HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin R. Bailey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Eleanor Barnes
- Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, Nuffield Department of Medicine and the Oxford NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford University, UK
| | - Andrea L. Cox
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland,Reprint requests Address requests for reprints to: Andrea L. Cox, MD, PhD, Division of Infectious Diseases, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 551 Rangos Building, 855 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21205. fax: (443)769-1221.
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15
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Ashraf MU, Iman K, Khalid MF, Salman HM, Shafi T, Rafi M, Javaid N, Hussain R, Ahmad F, Shahzad-Ul-Hussan S, Mirza S, Shafiq M, Afzal S, Hamera S, Anwar S, Qazi R, Idrees M, Qureshi SA, Chaudhary SU. Evolution of efficacious pangenotypic hepatitis C virus therapies. Med Res Rev 2018; 39:1091-1136. [PMID: 30506705 DOI: 10.1002/med.21554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C compromises the quality of life of more than 350 million individuals worldwide. Over the last decade, therapeutic regimens for treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections have undergone rapid advancements. Initially, structure-based drug design was used to develop molecules that inhibit viral enzymes. Subsequently, establishment of cell-based replicon systems enabled investigations into various stages of HCV life cycle including its entry, replication, translation, and assembly, as well as role of host proteins. Collectively, these approaches have facilitated identification of important molecules that are deemed essential for HCV life cycle. The expanded set of putative virus and host-encoded targets has brought us one step closer to developing robust strategies for efficacious, pangenotypic, and well-tolerated medicines against HCV. Herein, we provide an overview of the development of various classes of virus and host-directed therapies that are currently in use along with others that are undergoing clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Usman Ashraf
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.,Virology Laboratory, Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Kanzal Iman
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Farhan Khalid
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Muhammad Salman
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.,Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Talha Shafi
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Momal Rafi
- Department of Statistics, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan
| | - Nida Javaid
- Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Rashid Hussain
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Fayyaz Ahmad
- Department of Statistics, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan
| | | | - Shaper Mirza
- Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shafiq
- Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Samia Afzal
- Virology Laboratory, Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Sadia Hamera
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, University of Rostock, Germany
| | - Saima Anwar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Romena Qazi
- Department of Pathology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Idrees
- Virology Laboratory, Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.,Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - Sohail A Qureshi
- Institute of Integrative Biosciences, CECOS-University of Information Technology and Emerging Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Safee Ullah Chaudhary
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
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16
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Peng H, Zhang L, Feng Y, Tang H, Luo Z, Qi Z, Xia X, Zhao P. A cross-sectional serum investigation of a clustering hepatitis C virus infection in Southwest China. J Med Virol 2018; 91:508-513. [PMID: 30204254 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.25315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Serum samples were collected in a village with a clustering hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. HCV antibody, HCV RNA loads, liver function indexes, HCV envelope antibody, and neutralizing activity were assessed. Among 851 adult sera, 342 samples were positive for anti-HCV. Of these positive samples, 254 (74.3%) were HCV RNA positive (≥800 copies/mL). None of the 69 children's sera were positive for HCV antibody or RNA. Among the HCV antibody positive sera, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase levels increased with the higher virus loads, but decreased when virus loads were higher than 1 × 10 6 copies/mL. HCV envelope antibody and neutralizing antibody levels increased with viral load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Peng
- Department of Microbiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Shanghai, China
| | - Longyan Zhang
- Department of Microbiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Shanghai, China
| | - Yue Feng
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Hailin Tang
- Department of Microbiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenghan Luo
- Department of Microbiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongtian Qi
- Department of Microbiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Shanghai, China
| | - Xueshan Xia
- Molecular Virology Laboratory, Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ping Zhao
- Department of Microbiology, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Medical Biodefense, Shanghai, China
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17
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Li Y, Zhao Y, Wang C, Zheng X, Wang H, Gai W, Jin H, Yan F, Qiu B, Gao Y, Li N, Yang S, Xia X. Packaging of Rift Valley fever virus pseudoviruses and establishment of a neutralization assay method. J Vet Sci 2018; 19:200-206. [PMID: 28693302 PMCID: PMC5879068 DOI: 10.4142/jvs.2018.19.2.200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an acute, febrile zoonotic disease that is caused by the RVF virus (RVFV). RVF is mainly prevalent on the Arabian Peninsula, the African continent, and several islands in the Indian Ocean near southeast Africa. RVFV has been classified by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) as a category A pathogen. To avoid biological safety concerns associated with use of the pathogen in RVFV neutralization assays, the present study investigated and established an RVFV pseudovirus-based neutralization assay. This study used the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) lentiviral packaging system and RVFV structural proteins to successfully construct RVFV pseudoviruses. Electron microscopy observation and western blotting indicated that the size, structure, and shape of the packaged pseudoviruses were notably similar to those of HIV lentiviral vectors. Infection inhibition assay results showed that an antibody against RVFV inhibited the infective ability of the RVFV pseudoviruses, and an antibody neutralization assay for RVFV detection was then established. This study has successfully established a neutralization assay based on RVFV pseudoviruses and demonstrated that this method can be used to effectively evaluate antibody neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuetao Li
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China.,Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China.,College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China
| | - Yongkun Zhao
- Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China
| | - Cuiling Wang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China.,Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China
| | - Xuexing Zheng
- Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China.,School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, China
| | - Hualei Wang
- Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China
| | - Weiwei Gai
- Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Hongli Jin
- Changchun SR Biological Technology Co., Ltd., Changchun 130000, China
| | - Feihu Yan
- Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China
| | - Boning Qiu
- Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130012, China
| | - Yuwei Gao
- Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China
| | - Nan Li
- Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China
| | - Songtao Yang
- Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China
| | - Xianzhu Xia
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang 453003, China.,Institute of Military Veterinary Medicine, Academy of Military Medical Science, Changchun 130122, China
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18
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Kinchen VJ, Bailey JR. Defining Breadth of Hepatitis C Virus Neutralization. Front Immunol 2018; 9:1703. [PMID: 30116237 PMCID: PMC6082923 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.01703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Extraordinary genetic diversity is a hallmark of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Therefore, accurate measurement of the breadth of antibody neutralizing activity across diverse HCV isolates is key to defining correlates of immune protection against the virus, and essential to guide vaccine development. Panels of HCV pseudoparticle (HCVpp) or replication-competent cell culture viruses (HCVcc) can be used to measure neutralizing breadth of antibodies. These in vitro assays have been used to define neutralizing breadth of antibodies in serum, to characterize broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, and to identify mechanisms of HCV resistance to antibody neutralization. Recently, larger and more diverse panels of both HCVpp and HCVcc have been described that better represent the diversity of circulating HCV strains, but further work is needed to expand and standardize these neutralization panels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie J Kinchen
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Justin R Bailey
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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19
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Ramirez S, Bukh J. Current status and future development of infectious cell-culture models for the major genotypes of hepatitis C virus: Essential tools in testing of antivirals and emerging vaccine strategies. Antiviral Res 2018; 158:264-287. [PMID: 30059723 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In this review, we summarize the relevant scientific advances that led to the development of infectious cell culture systems for hepatitis C virus (HCV) with the corresponding challenges and successes. We also provide an overview of how these systems have contributed to the study of antiviral compounds and their relevance for the development of a much-needed vaccine against this major human pathogen. An efficient infectious system to study HCV in vitro, using human hepatoma derived cells, has only been available since 2005, and was limited to a single isolate, named JFH1, until 2012. Successive developments have been slow and cumbersome, as each available system has been the result of a systematic effort for discovering adaptive mutations conferring culture replication and propagation to patient consensus clones that are inherently non-viable in vitro. High genetic heterogeneity is a paramount characteristic of this virus, and as such, it should preferably be reflected in basic, translational, and clinical studies. The limited number of efficient viral culture systems, in the context of the vast genetic diversity of HCV, continues to represent a major hindrance for the study of this virus, posing a significant barrier towards studies of antivirals (particularly of resistance) and for advancing vaccine development. Intensive research efforts, driven by isolate-specific culture adaptation, have only led to efficient full-length infectious culture systems for a few strains of HCV genotypes 1, 2, 3, and 6. Hence research aimed at identifying novel strategies that will permit universal culture of HCV will be needed to further our understanding of this unique virus causing 400 thousand deaths annually.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santseharay Ramirez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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20
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Dustin LB. Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses in Chronic HCV Infection. Curr Drug Targets 2018; 18:826-843. [PMID: 26302811 DOI: 10.2174/1389450116666150825110532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2015] [Revised: 07/25/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a public health problem of global importance, even in the era of potent directly-acting antiviral drugs. In this chapter, I discuss immune responses to acute and chronic HCV infection. The outcome of HCV infection is influenced by viral strategies that limit or delay the initiation of innate antiviral responses. This delay may enable HCV to establish widespread infection long before the host mounts effective T and B cell responses. HCV's genetic agility, resulting from its high rate of replication and its error prone replication mechanism, enables it to evade immune recognition. Adaptive immune responses fail to keep up with changing viral epitopes. Neutralizing antibody epitopes may be hidden by decoy structures, glycans, and lipoproteins. T cell responses fail due to changing epitope sequences and due to exhaustion, a phenomenon that may have evolved to limit immune-mediated pathology. Despite these difficulties, innate and adaptive immune mechanisms do impact HCV replication. Immune-mediated clearance of infection is possible, occurring in 20-50% of people who contract the disease. New developments raise hopes for effective immunological interventions to prevent or treat HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Dustin
- University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, Peter Medawar Building for Pathogen Research, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3SY, United Kingdom
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21
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Masavuli MG, Wijesundara DK, Torresi J, Gowans EJ, Grubor-Bauk B. Preclinical Development and Production of Virus-Like Particles As Vaccine Candidates for Hepatitis C. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2413. [PMID: 29259601 PMCID: PMC5723323 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infects 2% of the world’s population and is the leading cause of liver disease and liver transplantation. It poses a serious and growing worldwide public health problem that will only be partially addressed with the introduction of new antiviral therapies. However, these treatments will not prevent re-infection particularly in high risk populations. The introduction of a HCV vaccine has been predicted, using simulation models in a high risk population, to have a significant effect on reducing the incidence of HCV. A vaccine with 50 to 80% efficacy targeted to high-risk intravenous drug users could dramatically reduce HCV incidence in this population. Virus like particles (VLPs) are composed of viral structural proteins which self-assemble into non-infectious particles that lack genetic material and resemble native viruses. Thus, VLPs represent a safe and highly immunogenic vaccine delivery platform able to induce potent adaptive immune responses. Currently, many VLP-based vaccines have entered clinical trials, while licensed VLP vaccines for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human papilloma virus (HPV) have been in use for many years. The HCV core, E1 and E2 proteins can self-assemble into immunogenic VLPs while inclusion of HCV antigens into heterogenous (chimeric) VLPs is also a promising approach. These VLPs are produced using different expression systems such as bacterial, yeast, mammalian, plant, or insect cells. Here, this paper will review HCV VLP-based vaccines and their immunogenicity in animal models as well as the different expression systems used in their production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makutiro Ghislain Masavuli
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Danushka K Wijesundara
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Joseph Torresi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Eric J Gowans
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Branka Grubor-Bauk
- Virology Laboratory, Basil Hetzel Institute for Translational Medicine, Discipline of Surgery, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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22
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King B, Tarr AW. How have retrovirus pseudotypes contributed to our understanding of viral entry? Future Virol 2017. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2017-0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Study of virus entry into host cells is important for understanding viral tropism and pathogenesis. Studying the entry of in vitro cultured viruses is not always practicable. Study of highly pathogenic viruses, viruses that do not grow in culture, and viruses that rapidly change phenotype in vitro can all benefit from alternative models of entry. Retrovirus particles can be engineered to display the envelope proteins of heterologous enveloped viruses. This approach, broadly termed ‘pseudotyping’, is an important technique for interrogating virus entry. In this perspective we consider how retrovirus pseudotypes have addressed these challenges and improved our understanding of the entry pathways of diverse virus species, including Ebolavirus, human immunodeficiency virus and hepatitis C virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barnabas King
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust & the University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alexander W Tarr
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust & the University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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23
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Velázquez-Moctezuma R, Law M, Bukh J, Prentoe J. Applying antibody-sensitive hypervariable region 1-deleted hepatitis C virus to the study of escape pathways of neutralizing human monoclonal antibody AR5A. PLoS Pathog 2017; 13:e1006214. [PMID: 28231271 PMCID: PMC5358973 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of end-stage liver diseases. With 3–4 million new HCV infections yearly, a vaccine is urgently needed. A better understanding of virus escape from neutralizing antibodies and their corresponding epitopes are important for this effort. However, for viral isolates with high antibody resistance, or antibodies with moderate potency, it remains challenging to induce escape mutations in vitro. Here, as proof-of-concept, we used antibody-sensitive HVR1-deleted (ΔHVR1) viruses to generate escape mutants for a human monoclonal antibody, AR5A, targeting a rare cross-genotype conserved epitope. By analyzing the genotype 1a envelope proteins (E1/E2) of recovered Core-NS2 recombinant H77/JFH1ΔHVR1 and performing reverse genetic studies we found that resistance to AR5A was caused by substitution L665W, also conferring resistance to the parental H77/JFH1. The mutation did not induce viral fitness loss, but abrogated AR5A binding to HCV particles and intracellular E1/E2 complexes. Culturing J6/JFH1ΔHVR1 (genotype 2a), for which fitness was decreased by L665W, with AR5A generated AR5A-resistant viruses with the substitutions I345V, L665S, and S680T, which we introduced into J6/JFH1 and J6/JFH1ΔHVR1. I345V increased fitness but had no effect on AR5A resistance. L665S impaired fitness and decreased AR5A sensitivity, while S680T combined with L665S compensated for fitness loss and decreased AR5A sensitivity even further. Interestingly, S680T alone had no fitness effect but sensitized the virus to AR5A. Of note, H77/JFH1L665S was non-viable. The resistance mutations did not affect cell-to-cell spread or E1/E2 interactions. Finally, introducing L665W, identified in genotype 1, into genotypes 2–6 parental and HVR1-deleted variants (not available for genotype 4a) we observed diverse effects on viral fitness and a universally pronounced reduction in AR5A sensitivity. Thus, we were able to take advantage of the neutralization-sensitive HVR1-deleted viruses to rapidly generate escape viruses aiding our understanding of the divergent escape pathways used by HCV to evade AR5A. Worldwide hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the leading causes of chronic liver diseases, including cirrhosis and cancer. Treatment accessibility is limited and development of a preventive vaccine has proven difficult, partly due to the high mutation rate of the virus. Recent studies of HCV antibody neutralization resistance have revealed important information about escape pathways and barriers to escape for several clinically promising human monoclonal antibodies. However, due to the varying levels of antibody shielding between HCV isolates these studies have been mostly limited to a few neutralization-sensitive HCV isolates. Here, we took advantage of the fact that deletion of the hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) increased antibody sensitivity of HCV isolates by increasing the exposure of important epitopes, thus facilitating studies of antibody escape for neutralization resistant isolates. We identified escape mutations in the envelope glycoprotein E2, at amino acid position L665, which conferred antibody resistance in parental HCV viruses from genotypes 1–6. We found that antibody escape was associated with loss of binding to HCV particles and intracellular envelope protein complexes. We also identified escape substitutions at L665 that were isolate-specific. Thus, our data sheds new light on antibody resistance mechanisms across diverse HCV isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Velázquez-Moctezuma
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mansun Law
- Department of Immunology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail: (JP); (JB)
| | - Jannick Prentoe
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- * E-mail: (JP); (JB)
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24
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Swann RE, Mandalou P, Robinson MW, Ow MM, Foung SKH, McLauchlan J, Patel AH, Cramp ME. Anti-envelope antibody responses in individuals at high risk of hepatitis C virus who resist infection. J Viral Hepat 2016; 23:873-880. [PMID: 27405885 PMCID: PMC5244678 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.12568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Injection drug users uninfected by hepatitis C virus (HCV) despite likely repeated exposure through high-risk behaviour are well documented. Factors preventing infection in these individuals are incompletely understood. Here, we looked for anti-HCV-envelope antibody responses in a cohort of repeatedly exposed but uninfected subjects. Forty-two hepatitis C diagnostic antibody- and RNA-negative injection drug users at high risk of exposure were studied and findings compared to healthy controls and cases with chronic HCV infection. Purified IgGs from sera were tested by ELISA for binding to genotype 1a and 3a envelope glycoproteins E1E2 with further testing for IgG and IgM reactivity against soluble E2. Virus-neutralizing activity was assessed using an HCV pseudoparticle system. Uninfected subjects demonstrated significantly greater IgG and IgM reactivities to envelope glycoproteins than healthy controls with IgG from 6 individuals additionally showing significant neutralization. This study is the first to describe humoral immunological responses targeting the HCV envelope, important for viral neutralization, in exposed uninfected individuals. A subset of these cases also had evidence of viral neutralization via anti-envelope antibodies. In addition to confirming viral exposure, the presence of specific anti-envelope antibodies may be a factor that helps these individuals resist HCV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. E. Swann
- MRC – University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - P. Mandalou
- Hepatology Research GroupPlymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and DentistryPlymouthUK,South West Liver UnitDerriford HospitalPlymouthUK
| | - M. W. Robinson
- MRC – University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK,School of Biochemistry and ImmunologyTrinity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - M. M. Ow
- Hepatology Research GroupPlymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and DentistryPlymouthUK,South West Liver UnitDerriford HospitalPlymouthUK
| | - S. K. H. Foung
- Department of PathologyStanford University School of MedicineStanfordCAUSA
| | - J. McLauchlan
- MRC – University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - A. H. Patel
- MRC – University of Glasgow Centre for Virus ResearchUniversity of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - M. E. Cramp
- Hepatology Research GroupPlymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and DentistryPlymouthUK,South West Liver UnitDerriford HospitalPlymouthUK
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25
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Bukh J. The history of hepatitis C virus (HCV): Basic research reveals unique features in phylogeny, evolution and the viral life cycle with new perspectives for epidemic control. J Hepatol 2016; 65:S2-S21. [PMID: 27641985 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2016.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 161] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The discovery of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in 1989 permitted basic research to unravel critical components of a complex life cycle for this important human pathogen. HCV is a highly divergent group of viruses classified in 7 major genotypes and a great number of subtypes, and circulating in infected individuals as a continuously evolving quasispecies destined to escape host immune responses and applied antivirals. Despite the inability to culture patient viruses directly in the laboratory, efforts to define the infectious genome of HCV resulted in development of experimental recombinant in vivo and in vitro systems, including replicons and infectious cultures in human hepatoma cell lines. And HCV has become a model virus defining new paradigms in virology, immunology and biology. For example, HCV research discovered that a virus could be completely dependent on microRNA for its replication since microRNA-122 is critical for the HCV life cycle. A number of other host molecules critical for HCV entry and replication have been identified. Thus, basic HCV research revealed important molecules for development of host targeting agents (HTA). The identification and characterization of HCV encoded proteins and their functional units contributed to the development of highly effective direct acting antivirals (DAA) against the NS3 protease, NS5A and the NS5B polymerase. In combination, these inhibitors have since 2014 permitted interferon-free therapy with cure rates above 90% among patients with chronic HCV infection; however, viral resistance represents a challenge. Worldwide control of HCV will most likely require the development of a prophylactic vaccine, and numerous candidates have been pursued. Research characterizing features critical for antibody-based virus neutralization and T cell based virus elimination from infected cells is essential for this effort. If the world community promotes an ambitious approach by applying current DAA broadly, continues to develop alternative viral- and host- targeted antivirals to combat resistant variants, and invests in the development of a vaccine, it would be possible to eradicate HCV. This would prevent about 500 thousand deaths annually. However, given the nature of HCV, the millions of new infections annually, a high chronicity rate, and with over 150 million individuals with chronic infection (which are frequently unidentified), this effort remains a major challenge for basic researchers, clinicians and communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
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26
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Urbanowicz RA, McClure CP, King B, Mason CP, Ball JK, Tarr AW. Novel functional hepatitis C virus glycoprotein isolates identified using an optimized viral pseudotype entry assay. J Gen Virol 2016; 97:2265-2279. [PMID: 27384448 PMCID: PMC5042129 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.000537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Retrovirus pseudotypes are a highly tractable model used to study the entry pathways of enveloped viruses. This model has been extensively applied to the study of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) entry pathway, preclinical screening of antiviral antibodies and for assessing the phenotype of patient-derived viruses using HCV pseudoparticles (HCVpp) possessing the HCV E1 and E2 glycoproteins. However, not all patient-isolated clones produce particles that are infectious in this model. This study investigated factors that might limit phenotyping of patient-isolated HCV glycoproteins. Genetically related HCV glycoproteins from quasispecies in individual patients were discovered to behave very differently in this entry model. Empirical optimization of the ratio of packaging construct and glycoprotein-encoding plasmid was required for successful HCVpp genesis for different clones. The selection of retroviral packaging construct also influenced the function of HCV pseudoparticles. Some glycoprotein constructs tolerated a wide range of assay parameters, while others were much more sensitive to alterations. Furthermore, glycoproteins previously characterized as unable to mediate entry were found to be functional. These findings were validated using chimeric cell-cultured HCV bearing these glycoproteins. Using the same empirical approach we demonstrated that generation of infectious ebolavirus pseudoviruses (EBOVpv) was also sensitive to the amount and ratio of plasmids used, and that protocols for optimal production of these pseudoviruses are dependent on the exact virus glycoprotein construct. These findings demonstrate that it is crucial for studies utilizing pseudoviruses to conduct empirical optimization of pseudotype production for each specific glycoprotein sequence to achieve optimal titres and facilitate accurate phenotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A. Urbanowicz
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
- NIHR Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - C. Patrick McClure
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
- NIHR Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Barnabas King
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
- NIHR Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Christopher P. Mason
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
- NIHR Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Jonathan K. Ball
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
- NIHR Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alexander W. Tarr
- School of Life Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
- NIHR Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, UK
- Correspondence Alexander W. Tarr
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27
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Pedersen J, Lundbo LF, Krarup H, Bukh J, Weis N. Neutralizing antibodies in patients with chronic hepatitis C and correlation to liver cirrhosis and estimated duration of infection. J Med Virol 2016; 88:1791-803. [PMID: 27027386 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.24537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Although chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection accounts for 30% of individuals with cirrhotic livers worldwide, factors influencing disease progression are far from elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine whether the level of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) correlated with the development of cirrhosis in patients with chronic HCV infection, genotype 1, when adjusting for estimated duration of infection. Thirty-nine patients with chronic hepatitis C, with either no/mild fibrosis (n = 23) or cirrhosis (n = 16), were enrolled from two university hospitals in Denmark. Duration of HCV infection was estimated based on patient information and/or anti-HCV seroconversion. Serial dilutions of purified serum/plasma derived IgGs were tested for their ability to neutralize six HCV-genotype 1 cell-culture strains. The results were expressed as the lowest IgG concentration yielding ≥50% neutralization (NAb50 -titer). A significant difference in HCV NAb50 -titers among the six genotype 1a/1b recombinants was found. In patients with cirrhosis, a tendency for higher level of NAbs was observed compared to patients with no/mild fibrosis, although not statistical significant. Stratifying the two groups revealed that being infected >25 years resulted in higher levels of NAbs in both. Furthermore, by correlating estimated duration of HCV infection to NAb50 -titers a significant result was found against two recombinants. The NAb titer does not differ significantly between HCV patients with either no/mild fibrosis or cirrhosis but show a tendency for increasing level with increased duration of infection. NAbs might contribute as a biological marker to increase the accuracy of patient based information on duration of HCV infection. J. Med. Virol. 88:1791-1803, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jannie Pedersen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lene Fogt Lundbo
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Clinical Research Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - Henrik Krarup
- Section of Molecular Diagnostics, Clinical Biochemistry and Department of Medical Gastroenterology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nina Weis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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28
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Ortega-Prieto AM, Dorner M. The expanding toolbox for hepatitis C virus research. J Viral Hepat 2016; 23:320-9. [PMID: 26762605 DOI: 10.1111/jvh.12500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus is a major global health concern with 170 million people chronically infected. Despite the availability of potent antiviral agents targeting multiple HCV proteins and cure rates above 90%, global treatment availability, the likelihood of emerging drug-resistant viral variants and the unavailability of a protective vaccine underline the many unresolved questions remaining to be answered. Model systems allowing the dissection of individual HCV life cycle steps have previously been developed and span noninfectious and infectious means of assessing HCV entry and replication, multiple cellular systems enabling host/pathogen interaction studies as well as in vivo model systems for basic as well as translational HCV research. This review provides an overview of available systems and a comparative summary of assays and models.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Ortega-Prieto
- Section of Virology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - M Dorner
- Section of Virology, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
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29
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Ferns RB, Tarr AW, Hue S, Urbanowicz RA, McClure CP, Gilson R, Ball JK, Nastouli E, Garson JA, Pillay D. Hepatitis C virus quasispecies and pseudotype analysis from acute infection to chronicity in HIV-1 co-infected individuals. Virology 2016; 492:213-24. [PMID: 26971243 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2016.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2015] [Revised: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
HIV-1 infected patients who acquire HCV infection have higher rates of chronicity and liver disease progression than patients with HCV mono-infection. Understanding early events in this pathogenic process is important. We applied single genome sequencing of the E1 to NS3 regions and viral pseudotype neutralization assays to explore the consequences of viral quasispecies evolution from pre-seroconversion to chronicity in four co-infected individuals (mean follow up 566 days). We observed that one to three founder viruses were transmitted. Relatively low viral sequence diversity, possibly related to an impaired immune response, due to HIV infection was observed in three patients. However, the fourth patient, after an early purifying selection displayed increasing E2 sequence evolution, possibly related to being on suppressive antiretroviral therapy. Viral pseudotypes generated from HCV variants showed relative resistance to neutralization by autologous plasma but not to plasma collected from later time points, confirming ongoing virus escape from antibody neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bridget Ferns
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Clinical Microbiology & Virology, UCL Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom.
| | - Alexander W Tarr
- School of Life Sciences & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Stephane Hue
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard A Urbanowicz
- School of Life Sciences & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - C Patrick McClure
- School of Life Sciences & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Gilson
- Research Department of Infection and Population Health, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan K Ball
- School of Life Sciences & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Eleni Nastouli
- Clinical Microbiology & Virology, UCL Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy A Garson
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom
| | - Deenan Pillay
- Division of Infection & Immunity, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, United Kingdom; Wellcome Trust Africa Centre for Health and Population Sciences, University of KwaZulu, Natal, South Africa
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30
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A Hepatitis C Virus Envelope Polymorphism Confers Resistance to Neutralization by Polyclonal Sera and Broadly Neutralizing Monoclonal Antibodies. J Virol 2016; 90:3773-82. [PMID: 26819308 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02837-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health problem, with millions of chronically infected individuals at risk for cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. HCV vaccine development is vital in the effort toward disease control and eradication, an undertaking aided by an increased understanding of the mechanisms of resistance to broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs). In this study, we identified HCV codons that vary deep in a phylogenetic tree of HCV sequences and showed that a polymorphism at one of these positions renders Bole1a, a computationally derived, ancestral genotype 1a HCV strain, resistant to neutralization by both polyclonal-HCV-infected plasma and multiple broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies with unique binding epitopes. This bNAb resistance mutation reduces replicative fitness, which may explain the persistence of both neutralization-sensitive and neutralization-resistant variants in circulating viral strains. This work identifies an important determinant of bNAb resistance in an ancestral, representative HCV genome, which may inform HCV vaccine development. IMPORTANCE Worldwide, more than 170 million people are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV), the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma and liver transplantation in the United States. Despite recent significant advances in HCV treatment, a vaccine is needed. Control of the HCV pandemic with drug treatment alone is likely to fail due to limited access to treatment, reinfections in high-risk individuals, and the potential for resistance to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs). Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) block infection by diverse HCV variants and therefore serve as a useful guide for vaccine development, but our understanding of resistance to bNAbs is incomplete. In this report, we identify a viral polymorphism conferring resistance to neutralization by both polyclonal plasma and broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, which may inform HCV vaccine development.
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31
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King B, Temperton NJ, Grehan K, Scott SD, Wright E, Tarr AW, Daly JM. Technical considerations for the generation of novel pseudotyped viruses. Future Virol 2016. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl.15.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
A pseudotyped virus (PV) is a virus particle with an envelope protein originating from a different virus. The ability to dictate which envelope proteins are expressed on the surface has made pseudotyping an important tool for basic virological studies such as determining the cellular targets of the envelope protein of the virus as well as identification of potential antiviral compounds and measuring specific antibody responses. In this review, we describe the common methodologies employed to generate PVs, with a focus on approaches to improve the efficacy of PV generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barnabas King
- School of Life Sciences & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Nigel J Temperton
- Viral Pseudotype Unit (Medway), School of Pharmacy, Anson Building, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Keith Grehan
- Viral Pseudotype Unit (Medway), School of Pharmacy, Anson Building, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Simon D Scott
- Viral Pseudotype Unit (Medway), School of Pharmacy, Anson Building, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Chatham, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Edward Wright
- Viral Pseudotype Unit (Fitzrovia), Faculty of Science & Technology, University of Westminster, 115 New Cavendish Street, London, W1W 6UW, UK
| | - Alexander W Tarr
- School of Life Sciences & NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Unit in Gastrointestinal & Liver Diseases, Queen's Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Janet M Daly
- School of Veterinary Medicine & Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire, LE12 5RD, UK
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Network Analysis of the Chronic Hepatitis C Virome Defines Hypervariable Region 1 Evolutionary Phenotypes in the Context of Humoral Immune Responses. J Virol 2015; 90:3318-29. [PMID: 26719263 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02995-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 12/22/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of hepatitis C virus (HCV) comprises the first 27 N-terminal amino acid residues of E2. It is classically seen as the most heterogeneous region of the HCV genome. In this study, we assessed HVR1 evolution by using ultradeep pyrosequencing for a cohort of treatment-naive, chronically infected patients over a short, 16-week period. Organization of the sequence set into connected components that represented single nucleotide substitution events revealed a network dominated by highly connected, centrally positioned master sequences. HVR1 phenotypes were observed to be under strong purifying (stationary) and strong positive (antigenic drift) selection pressures, which were coincident with advancing patient age and cirrhosis of the liver. It followed that stationary viromes were dominated by a single HVR1 variant surrounded by minor variants comprised from conservative single amino acid substitution events. We present evidence to suggest that neutralization antibody efficacy was diminished for stationary-virome HVR1 variants. Our results identify the HVR1 network structure during chronic infection as the preferential dominance of a single variant within a narrow sequence space. IMPORTANCE HCV infection is often asymptomatic, and chronic infection is generally well established in advance of initial diagnosis and subsequent treatment. HVR1 can undergo rapid sequence evolution during acute infection, and the variant pool is typically seen to diverge away from ancestral sequences as infection progresses from the acute to the chronic phase. In this report, we describe HVR1 viromes in chronically infected patients that are defined by a dominant epitope located centrally within a narrow variant pool. Our findings suggest that weakened humoral immune activity, as a consequence of persistent chronic infection, allows for the acquisition and maintenance of host-specific adaptive mutations at HVR1 that reflect virus fitness.
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Kolesanova EF, Sobolev BN, Moysa AA, Egorova EA, Archakov AI. [Way to the peptide vaccine against hepatitis C]. BIOMEDIT︠S︡INSKAI︠A︡ KHIMII︠A︡ 2015; 61:254-64. [PMID: 25978391 DOI: 10.18097/pbmc20156102254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In order to surpass the problem of genetic variability of hepatitis C virus envelope proteins during vaccine development, we used the so-called "reverse vaccinology"approach--"from genome to vaccine". Database of HCV protein sequences was designed, viral genome analysis was performed, and several highly conserved sites were revealed in HCV envelope proteins in the framework of this approach. These sites demonstrated low antigenic activity in full-size proteins and HCV virions: antibodies against these sites were not found in all hepatitis C patients. However, two sites, which contained a wide set of potential T-helper epitope motifs, were revealed among these highly conserved ones. We constructed and prepared by solid-phase peptide synthesis several artificial peptide constructs composed of two linker-connected highly conserved HCV envelope E2 protein sites; one of these sites contained a set of T-helper epitope motifs. Experiments on laboratory animals demonstrated that the developed peptide constructs manifested immunogenicity compared with one of protein molecules and were able to raise antibodies, which specifically bound HCV envelope proteins. We succeeded in obtaining antibodies reactive with HCV from hepatitis C patient plasma upon the immunization with some constructs. An original preparation of a peptide vaccine against hepatitis C is under development on the basis of these peptide constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - B N Sobolev
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - A A Moysa
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - E A Egorova
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
| | - A I Archakov
- Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
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Murira A, Lapierre P, Lamarre A. Evolution of the Humoral Response during HCV Infection: Theories on the Origin of Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies and Implications for Vaccine Design. Adv Immunol 2015; 129:55-107. [PMID: 26791858 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ai.2015.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Similar to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1, vaccine-induced elicitation of broadly neutralizing (bNt) antibodies (Abs) is gaining traction as a key goal toward the eradication of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) pandemic. Previously, the significance of the Ab response against HCV was underappreciated given the prevailing evidence advancing the role of the cellular immune response in clearance and overall control of the infection. However, recent findings have driven growing interest in the humoral arm of the immune response and in particular the role of bNt responses due to their ability to confer protective immunity upon passive transfer in animal models. Nevertheless, the origin and development of bNt Abs is poorly understood and their occurrence is rare as well as delayed with emergence only observed in the chronic phase of infection. In this review, we characterize the interplay between the host immune response and HCV as it progresses from the acute to chronic phase of infection. In addition, we place these events in the context of current hypotheses on the origin of bNt Abs against the HIV-1, whose humoral immune response is better characterized. Based on the increasing significance of the humoral immune response against HCV, characterization of these events may be critical in understanding the development of the bNt responses and, thus, provide strategies toward effective vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armstrong Murira
- Immunovirology Laboratory, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Laval, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Pascal Lapierre
- Immunovirology Laboratory, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Laval, Quebec, Canada
| | - Alain Lamarre
- Immunovirology Laboratory, Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS), INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, Laval, Quebec, Canada.
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Monoclonal antibodies: Principles and applications of immmunodiagnosis and immunotherapy for hepatitis C virus. World J Hepatol 2015. [PMID: 26464752 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v7.i22.2369.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major health problem worldwide. Early detection of the infection will help better management of the infected cases. The monoclonal antibodies (mAb) of mice are predominantly used for the immunodiagnosis of several viral, bacterial, and parasitic antigens. Serological detection of HCV antigens and antibodies provide simple and rapid methods of detection but lack sensitivity specially in the window phase between the infection and antibody development. Human mAb are used in the immunotherapy of several blood malignancies, such as lymphoma and leukemia, as well as for autoimmune diseases. In this review article, we will discuss methods of mouse and human monoclonal antibody production. We will demonstrate the role of mouse mAb in the detection of HCV antigens as rapid and sensitive immunodiagnostic assays for the detection of HCV, which is a major health problem throughout the world, particularly in Egypt. We will discuss the value of HCV-neutralizing antibodies and their roles in the immunotherapy of HCV infections and in HCV vaccine development. We will also discuss the different mechanisms by which the virus escape the effect of neutralizing mAb. Finally, we will discuss available and new trends to produce antibodies, such as egg yolk-based antibodies (IgY), production in transgenic plants, and the synthetic antibody mimics approach.
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Bukh J, Engle RE, Faulk K, Wang RY, Farci P, Alter HJ, Purcell RH. Immunoglobulin with High-Titer In Vitro Cross-Neutralizing Hepatitis C Virus Antibodies Passively Protects Chimpanzees from Homologous, but Not Heterologous, Challenge. J Virol 2015; 89:9128-32. [PMID: 26085160 PMCID: PMC4524056 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01194-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) in protection against hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains controversial. We infused a chimpanzee with H06 immunoglobulin from a genotype 1a HCV-infected patient and challenged with genotype strains efficiently neutralized by H06 in vitro. Genotype 1a NAbs afforded no protection against genotype 4a or 5a. Protection against homologous 1a lasted 18 weeks, but infection emerged when NAb titers waned. However, 6a infection was prevented. The differential in vivo neutralization patterns have implications for HCV vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital, and Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Ronald E Engle
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kristina Faulk
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Richard Y Wang
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Patrizia Farci
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Harvey J Alter
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Robert H Purcell
- Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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Apolipoprotein E, but Not Apolipoprotein B, Is Essential for Efficient Cell-to-Cell Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus. J Virol 2015. [PMID: 26202245 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00577-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infects hepatocytes through two different routes: (i) cell-free particle diffusion followed by engagement with specific cellular receptors and (ii) cell-to-cell direct transmission mediated by mechanisms not well defined yet. HCV exits host cells in association with very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) components. VLDL particles contain apolipoproteins B (ApoB) and E (ApoE), which are required for viral assembly and/or infectivity. Based on these precedents, we decided to study whether these VLDL components participate in HCV cell-to-cell transmission in vitro. We observed that cell-to-cell viral spread was compromised after ApoE interference in donor but not in acceptor cells. In contrast, ApoB knockdown in either donor or acceptor cells did not impair cell-to-cell viral transmission. Interestingly, ApoB participated in the assembly of cell-free infective virions, suggesting a differential regulation of cell-to-cell and cell-free HCV infection. This study identifies host-specific factors involved in these distinct routes of infection that may unveil new therapeutic targets and advance our understanding of HCV pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE This work demonstrates that cell-to-cell transmission of HCV depends on ApoE but not ApoB. The data also indicate that ApoB is required for the assembly of cell-free infective particles, strongly suggesting the existence of mechanisms involving VLDL components that differentially regulate cell-free and cell-to-cell HCV transmission. These data clarify some of the questions regarding the role of VLDL in HCV pathogenesis and the transmission of the virus cell to cell as a possible mechanism of immune evasion and open the door to therapeutic intervention.
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Tarr AW, Khera T, Hueging K, Sheldon J, Steinmann E, Pietschmann T, Brown RJP. Genetic Diversity Underlying the Envelope Glycoproteins of Hepatitis C Virus: Structural and Functional Consequences and the Implications for Vaccine Design. Viruses 2015; 7:3995-4046. [PMID: 26193307 PMCID: PMC4517138 DOI: 10.3390/v7072809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2015] [Revised: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the 26 years since the discovery of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) a major global research effort has illuminated many aspects of the viral life cycle, facilitating the development of targeted antivirals. Recently, effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) regimens with >90% cure rates have become available for treatment of chronic HCV infection in developed nations, representing a significant advance towards global eradication. However, the high cost of these treatments results in highly restricted access in developing nations, where the disease burden is greatest. Additionally, the largely asymptomatic nature of infection facilitates continued transmission in at risk groups and resource constrained settings due to limited surveillance. Consequently a prophylactic vaccine is much needed. The HCV envelope glycoproteins E1 and E2 are located on the surface of viral lipid envelope, facilitate viral entry and are the targets for host immunity, in addition to other functions. Unfortunately, the extreme global genetic and antigenic diversity exhibited by the HCV glycoproteins represents a significant obstacle to vaccine development. Here we review current knowledge of HCV envelope protein structure, integrating knowledge of genetic, antigenic and functional diversity to inform rational immunogen design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander W Tarr
- School of Life Sciences, Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
| | - Tanvi Khera
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
| | - Kathrin Hueging
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
| | - Julie Sheldon
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
| | - Eike Steinmann
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
| | - Thomas Pietschmann
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig 38124, Germany.
| | - Richard J P Brown
- Institute of Experimental Virology, TWINCORE, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, A Joint Venture between the Medical School Hannover (MHH) and the Helmholtz Centrefor Infection Research (HZI), Hannover D-30625, Germany.
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Kuroishi A, Yasui K, Matsukura H, Tani Y, Furuta RA. Comparison of neutralization profiles for anti-HCV reactive donor samples with or without detectable HCV RNA. Vox Sang 2015; 109:319-26. [PMID: 26095725 DOI: 10.1111/vox.12301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 04/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES At Japanese Red Cross (JRC) Blood Centers, all donated blood is screened for hepatitis C virus (HCV) by serological and nucleic acid amplification testing. Donor plasma that tested reactive for anti-HCV by serological test is disqualified even if the donor tests negative for HCV RNA. These test results reflect both true-positive results because of past HCV infection and false-positive results because the cross-reactivity of plasma IgG, which current testing methods are unable to distinguish. To characterize these antibody test results, we examined the neutralizing activity of these plasma samples. MATERIAL AND METHODS Donor plasma samples that tested reactive for anti-HCV by serological test but negative for HCV RNA (n = 43) were analysed for determining their neutralizing activities measured by the inhibition of the cellular entry of pseudoparticles harbouring HCV envelope glycoproteins (HCVpp). RESULTS Strong and broad neutralizing activities against HCVpp entry similar to the samples that tested reactive for anti-HCV serological test and positive for HCV RNA (considered to be derived from individuals with chronic HCV infection) were observed in three of 43 plasma samples from donors who tested anti-HCV reactive but HCV RNA negative. CONCLUSION By examining the neutralizing activities of plasma samples, we identified individuals with a past HCV infection from those in whom we were unable to confirm HCV infection according to the current testing algorithms of JRC, which do not perform anti-HCV confirmatory tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Kuroishi
- Japanese Red Cross Kinki Block Blood Center, Osaka, Japan
| | - K Yasui
- Japanese Red Cross Kinki Block Blood Center, Osaka, Japan
| | - H Matsukura
- Japanese Red Cross Kinki Block Blood Center, Osaka, Japan
| | - Y Tani
- Japanese Red Cross Kinki Block Blood Center, Osaka, Japan
| | - R A Furuta
- Japanese Red Cross Kinki Block Blood Center, Osaka, Japan
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40
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Low cross-neutralization of hepatitis C correlates with liver disease in immunocompromized patients. AIDS 2015; 29:1025-33. [PMID: 26125137 DOI: 10.1097/qad.0000000000000651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection causes severe liver disease in HIV-infected patients and liver transplant recipients. The impact of serum and immunoglobulin on viral entry was analysed in these patients. METHOD Sera from 60 anti-HCV positive patients, including 30 who were also anti-HIV positive, were tested with HCVpp from different genotypes (1a, 1b, 3 and 4) and with HCVcc (H77/JFH1). Seventeen HIV-seropositive and 13 HIV-seronegative patients with decompensated liver disease were studied before and after liver transplant. RESULTS Serum neutralization was markedly lower after liver transplant and in HIV patients than in mono-infected immune-competent individuals. This effect was due to low antibody-mediated neutralization. In HIV patients, low neutralization was correlated with low lymphocyte T CD4 cell counts and the severity of liver disease. To characterize neutralization, we tested HCVpp lacking hypervariable region (HVR1) and SR-BI receptor cholesterol transfer inhibition by BLT-4. These experiments showed that neutralization was strongly dependent on the HVR1 and the SR-BI receptor. HVR1 sequences showed that selective pressures were low in immune-compromised patients and highly correlated to HCV neutralization after liver transplant. Neutralization experiments were reproduced with HCV strain JFH1. CONCLUSION Serum neutralization in HIV-coinfected patients and HCV-infected liver transplant recipients is poor enhancing HCV entry through HVR1/SR-BI interplay. This may contribute to the severity of hepatitis C in these settings.
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Nawaz A, Zaidi SF, Usmanghani K, Ahmad I. Concise review on the insight of hepatitis C. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2014.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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Spaan M, Kreefft K, de Graav GN, Brouwer WP, de Knegt RJ, ten Kate FJW, Baan CC, Vanwolleghem T, Janssen HLA, Boonstra A. CD4+ CXCR5+ T cells in chronic HCV infection produce less IL-21, yet are efficient at supporting B cell responses. J Hepatol 2015; 62:303-10. [PMID: 25281860 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2014.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Revised: 08/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS During chronic HCV infection, T cell dependent virus-specific antibodies are produced. However, the role of B-T cell interaction in chronic HCV is largely unknown. CD4(+)CXCR5(+) T follicular helper (TFH)-cells activate B cells and are important for clearance of various chronic viral infections. We investigated the function of TFH cells and B cells in liver and in peripheral blood of chronic HCV patients. METHODS T cells from chronic HCV patients and healthy individuals were analysed for expression of CXCR5, PD-1, ICOS, and IL-21 and IFN-γ production by flow cytometry. CD19(+) B cell subpopulations were identified on the basis of CD27 and IgD expression. In order to assess the frequency and function of T cells and B cells in liver follicles, immunohistochemistry was performed for CD3, CXCR5, Bcl6, IL-21, CD20, IgD, IgM, and IgG. RESULTS The frequency of IL-21-producing CXCR5(+)CD4(+) T cells in blood was lower in HCV patients compared to healthy individuals (p=0.002), which was reflected by lower serum IL-21 levels (p<0.001). Nonetheless, CXCR5(+)CD4(+) T cells from HCV patients and healthy individuals were equally capable to stimulate CD19(+)CD27(+) memory B cells into IgG and IgM-producing plasmablasts. Importantly, human intrahepatic TFH cells and their related function were identified by immunohistochemistry on liver biopsies for CD3, Bcl6, and CD20 within portal areas and follicles. CONCLUSIONS The specific localization of TFH cells and IgG and IgD/IgM-producing B cells suggests a functional B-T cell environment in liver follicles during HCV infection. The decreased frequency of IL-21-producing CXCR5(+)CD4(+) T cells and lower serum IL-21 levels in chronic HCV patients did not lead to an altered TFH-B cell interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Spaan
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Kim Kreefft
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gretchen N de Graav
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Willem P Brouwer
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Robert J de Knegt
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fibo J W ten Kate
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carla C Baan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Vanwolleghem
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Harry L A Janssen
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Liver Clinic University Health Network, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Toronto, Canada
| | - Andre Boonstra
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC - University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Verstrepen BE, Boonstra A, Koopman G. Immune mechanisms of vaccine induced protection against chronic hepatitis C virus infection in chimpanzees. World J Hepatol 2015; 7:53-69. [PMID: 25624997 PMCID: PMC4295194 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v7.i1.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Revised: 10/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is characterized by a high propensity for development of life-long viral persistence. An estimated 170 million people suffer from chronic hepatitis caused by HCV. Currently, there is no approved prophylactic HCV vaccine available. With the near disappearance of the most relevant animal model for HCV, the chimpanzee, we review the progression that has been made regarding prophylactic vaccine development against HCV. We describe the results of the individual vaccine evaluation experiments in chimpanzees, in relation to what has been observed in humans. The results of the different studies indicate that partial protection against infection can be achieved, but a clear correlate of protection has thus far not yet been defined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babs E Verstrepen
- Babs E Verstrepen, Gerrit Koopman, Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2280GH Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - André Boonstra
- Babs E Verstrepen, Gerrit Koopman, Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2280GH Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Gerrit Koopman
- Babs E Verstrepen, Gerrit Koopman, Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2280GH Rijswijk, The Netherlands
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Bailey JR, Wasilewski LN, Snider AE, El-Diwany R, Osburn WO, Keck Z, Foung SKH, Ray SC. Naturally selected hepatitis C virus polymorphisms confer broad neutralizing antibody resistance. J Clin Invest 2014; 125:437-47. [PMID: 25500884 DOI: 10.1172/jci78794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
For hepatitis C virus (HCV) and other highly variable viruses, broadly neutralizing mAbs are an important guide for vaccine development. The development of resistance to anti-HCV mAbs is poorly understood, in part due to a lack of neutralization testing against diverse, representative panels of HCV variants. Here, we developed a neutralization panel expressing diverse, naturally occurring HCV envelopes (E1E2s) and used this panel to characterize neutralizing breadth and resistance mechanisms of 18 previously described broadly neutralizing anti-HCV human mAbs. The observed mAb resistance could not be attributed to polymorphisms in E1E2 at known mAb-binding residues. Additionally, hierarchical clustering analysis of neutralization resistance patterns revealed relationships between mAbs that were not predicted by prior epitope mapping, identifying 3 distinct neutralization clusters. Using this clustering analysis and envelope sequence data, we identified polymorphisms in E2 that confer resistance to multiple broadly neutralizing mAbs. These polymorphisms, which are not at mAb contact residues, also conferred resistance to neutralization by plasma from HCV-infected subjects. Together, our method of neutralization clustering with sequence analysis reveals that polymorphisms at noncontact residues may be a major immune evasion mechanism for HCV, facilitating viral persistence and presenting a challenge for HCV vaccine development.
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45
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The mechanism of HCV entry into host cells. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2014; 129:63-107. [PMID: 25595801 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an enveloped, positive strand RNA virus classified within the Flaviviridae family and is a major cause of liver disease worldwide. HCV life cycle and propagation are tightly linked to several aspects of lipid metabolism. HCV propagation depends on and also shapes several aspects of lipid metabolism such as cholesterol uptake and efflux through different lipoprotein receptors during its entry into cells, lipid metabolism modulating HCV genome replication, lipid droplets acting as a platform for recruitment of viral components, and very low density lipoprotein assembly pathway resulting in incorporation of neutral lipids and apolipoproteins into viral particles. During the first steps of infection, HCV enters hepatocytes through a multistep and slow process. The initial capture of HCV particles by glycosaminoglycans and/or lipoprotein receptors is followed by coordinated interactions with the scavenger receptor class B type I, a major receptor of high-density lipoprotein, the CD81 tetraspanin, and the tight junction proteins Claudin-1 and Occludin. This tight concert of receptor interactions ultimately leads to uptake and cellular internalization of HCV through a process of clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Over the years, the identification of the HCV entry receptors and cofactors has led to a better understanding of HCV entry and of the narrow tropism of HCV for the liver. Yet, the role of the two HCV envelope glycoproteins, E1 and E2, remains ill-defined, particularly concerning their involvement in the membrane fusion process. Here, we review the current knowledge and advances addressing the mechanism of HCV cell entry within hepatocytes and we highlight the challenges that remain to be addressed.
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Cashman SB, Marsden BD, Dustin LB. The Humoral Immune Response to HCV: Understanding is Key to Vaccine Development. Front Immunol 2014; 5:550. [PMID: 25426115 PMCID: PMC4226226 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a global problem, despite advances in treatment. The low cost and high benefit of vaccines have made them the backbone of modern public health strategies, and the fight against HCV will not be won without an effective vaccine. Achievement of this goal will benefit from a robust understanding of virus-host interactions and protective immunity in HCV infection. In this review, we summarize recent findings on HCV-specific antibody responses associated with chronic and spontaneously resolving human infection. In addition, we discuss specific epitopes within HCV's envelope glycoproteins that are targeted by neutralizing antibodies. Understanding what prompts or prevents a successful immune response leading to viral clearance or persistence is essential to designing a successful vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhán B Cashman
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
| | - Brian D Marsden
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK ; Nuffield Department of Medicine, Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
| | - Lynn B Dustin
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
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Carlsen TH, Pedersen J, Prentoe JC, Giang E, Keck ZY, Mikkelsen LS, Law M, Foung SKH, Bukh J. Breadth of neutralization and synergy of clinically relevant human monoclonal antibodies against HCV genotypes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, and 3a. Hepatology 2014; 60:1551-62. [PMID: 25043937 PMCID: PMC4415877 DOI: 10.1002/hep.27298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Human monoclonal antibodies (HMAbs) with neutralizing capabilities constitute potential immune-based treatments or prophylaxis against hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, lack of cell culture-derived HCV (HCVcc) harboring authentic envelope proteins (E1/E2) has hindered neutralization investigations across genotypes, subtypes, and isolates. We investigated the breadth of neutralization of 10 HMAbs with therapeutic potential against a panel of 16 JFH1-based HCVcc-expressing patient-derived Core-NS2 from genotypes 1a (strains H77, TN, and DH6), 1b (J4, DH1, and DH5), 2a (J6, JFH1, and T9), 2b (J8, DH8, and DH10), 2c (S83), and 3a (S52, DBN, and DH11). Virus stocks used for in vitro neutralization analysis contained authentic E1/E2, with the exception of full-length JFH1 that acquired the N417S substitution in E2. The 50% inhibition concentration (IC50) for each HMAb against the HCVcc panel was determined by dose-response neutralization assays in Huh7.5 cells with antibody concentrations ranging from 0.0012 to 100 μg/mL. Interestingly, IC50 values against the different HCVcc's exhibited large variations among the HMAbs, and only three HMAbs (HC-1AM, HC84.24, and AR4A) neutralized all 16 HCVcc recombinants. Furthermore, the IC50 values for a given HMAb varied greatly with the HCVcc strain, which supports the use of a diverse virus panel. In cooperation analyses, HMAbs HC84.24, AR3A, and, especially HC84.26, demonstrated synergistic effects towards the majority of the HCVcc's when combined individually with AR4A. CONCLUSION Through a neutralization analysis of 10 clinically relevant HMAbs against 16 JFH1-based Core-NS2 recombinants from genotypes 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 2c, and 3a, we identified at least three HMAbs with potent and broad neutralization potential. The neutralization synergism obtained when pooling the most potent HMAbs could have significant implications for developing novel strategies to treat and control HCV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas H.R. Carlsen
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jannie Pedersen
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jannick C. Prentoe
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Erick Giang
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Zhen-Yong Keck
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA
| | - Lotte S. Mikkelsen
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mansun Law
- Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Steven K. H. Foung
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California, USA
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Research Centre, Hvidovre Hospital and Department of International Health, Immunology, and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
,Corresponding Author. Mailing address: Department of Infectious Diseases #144, Hvidovre Hospital, Kettegaard Allé 30, DK-2650 Hvidovre, Denmark. Phone: +4538626380. Fax: +4536474979.
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Al Olaby RR, Cocquerel L, Zemla A, Saas L, Dubuisson J, Vielmetter J, Marcotrigiano J, Khan AG, Catalan FV, Perryman AL, Freundlich JS, Forli S, Levy S, Balhorn R, Azzazy HM. Identification of a novel drug lead that inhibits HCV infection and cell-to-cell transmission by targeting the HCV E2 glycoprotein. PLoS One 2014; 9:e111333. [PMID: 25357246 PMCID: PMC4214736 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 09/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infects 200 million individuals worldwide. Although several FDA approved drugs targeting the HCV serine protease and polymerase have shown promising results, there is a need for better drugs that are effective in treating a broader range of HCV genotypes and subtypes without being used in combination with interferon and/or ribavirin. Recently, two crystal structures of the core of the HCV E2 protein (E2c) have been determined, providing structural information that can now be used to target the E2 protein and develop drugs that disrupt the early stages of HCV infection by blocking E2’s interaction with different host factors. Using the E2c structure as a template, we have created a structural model of the E2 protein core (residues 421–645) that contains the three amino acid segments that are not present in either structure. Computational docking of a diverse library of 1,715 small molecules to this model led to the identification of a set of 34 ligands predicted to bind near conserved amino acid residues involved in the HCV E2: CD81 interaction. Surface plasmon resonance detection was used to screen the ligand set for binding to recombinant E2 protein, and the best binders were subsequently tested to identify compounds that inhibit the infection of Huh-7 cells by HCV. One compound, 281816, blocked E2 binding to CD81 and inhibited HCV infection in a genotype-independent manner with IC50’s ranging from 2.2 µM to 4.6 µM. 281816 blocked the early and late steps of cell-free HCV entry and also abrogated the cell-to-cell transmission of HCV. Collectively the results obtained with this new structural model of E2c suggest the development of small molecule inhibitors such as 281816 that target E2 and disrupt its interaction with CD81 may provide a new paradigm for HCV treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reem R. Al Olaby
- Department of Chemistry, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Egypt
| | - Laurence Cocquerel
- Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, CNRS-UMR8204/Inserm-U1019, Pasteur Institute of Lille, University of Lille North of France, Lille, France
| | - Adam Zemla
- Pathogen Bioinformatics, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, United States of America
| | - Laure Saas
- Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, CNRS-UMR8204/Inserm-U1019, Pasteur Institute of Lille, University of Lille North of France, Lille, France
| | - Jean Dubuisson
- Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, CNRS-UMR8204/Inserm-U1019, Pasteur Institute of Lille, University of Lille North of France, Lille, France
| | - Jost Vielmetter
- Protein Expression Center, Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States of America
| | - Joseph Marcotrigiano
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
| | - Abdul Ghafoor Khan
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
| | - Felipe Vences Catalan
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Alexander L. Perryman
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Emerging & Re-emerging Pathogens, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States of America
| | - Joel S. Freundlich
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Center for Emerging & Re-emerging Pathogens, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States of America
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, United States of America
| | - Stefano Forli
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Shoshana Levy
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Rod Balhorn
- Department of Applied Science, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Hassan M. Azzazy
- Department of Chemistry, The American University in Cairo, New Cairo, Egypt
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49
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Keck ZY, Angus AGN, Wang W, Lau P, Wang Y, Gatherer D, Patel AH, Foung SKH. Non-random escape pathways from a broadly neutralizing human monoclonal antibody map to a highly conserved region on the hepatitis C virus E2 glycoprotein encompassing amino acids 412-423. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004297. [PMID: 25122476 PMCID: PMC4133389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A challenge for hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine development is to define epitopes that are able to elicit protective antibodies against this highly diverse virus. The E2 glycoprotein region located at residues 412-423 is conserved and antibodies to 412-423 have broadly neutralizing activities. However, an adaptive mutation, N417S, is associated with a glycan shift in a variant that cannot be neutralized by a murine but by human monoclonal antibodies (HMAbs) against 412-423. To determine whether HCV escapes from these antibodies, we analyzed variants that emerged when cell culture infectious HCV virions (HCVcc) were passaged under increasing concentrations of a specific HMAb, HC33.1. Multiple nonrandom escape pathways were identified. Two pathways occurred in the context of an N-glycan shift mutation at N417T. At low antibody concentrations, substitutions of two residues outside of the epitope, N434D and K610R, led to variants having improved in vitro viral fitness and reduced sensitivity to HC33.1 binding and neutralization. At moderate concentrations, a S419N mutation occurred within 412-423 in escape variants that have greatly reduced sensitivity to HC33.1 but compromised viral fitness. Importantly, the variants generated from these pathways differed in their stability. N434D and K610R-associated variants were stable and became dominant as the virions were passaged. The S419N mutation reverted back to N419S when immune pressure was reduced by removing HC33.1. At high antibody concentrations, a mutation at L413I was observed in variants that were resistant to HC33.1 neutralization. Collectively, the combination of multiple escape pathways enabled the virus to persist under a wide range of antibody concentrations. Moreover, these findings pose a different challenge to vaccine development beyond the identification of highly conserved epitopes. It will be necessary for a vaccine to induce high potency antibodies that prevent the formation of escape variants, which can co-exist with lower potency or levels of neutralizing activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-yong Keck
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Allan G. N. Angus
- MRC – University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Wenyan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Patrick Lau
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Yong Wang
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
| | - Derek Gatherer
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Arvind H. Patel
- MRC – University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (AHP); (SKHF)
| | - Steven K. H. Foung
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AHP); (SKHF)
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50
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Lange M, Fiedler M, Bankwitz D, Osburn W, Viazov S, Brovko O, Zekri AR, Khudyakov Y, Nassal M, Pumpens P, Pietschmann T, Timm J, Roggendorf M, Walker A. Hepatitis C virus hypervariable region 1 variants presented on hepatitis B virus capsid-like particles induce cross-neutralizing antibodies. PLoS One 2014; 9:e102235. [PMID: 25014219 PMCID: PMC4094522 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0102235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is still a serious global health burden. Despite improved therapeutic options, a preventative vaccine would be desirable especially in undeveloped countries. Traditionally, highly conserved epitopes are targets for antibody-based prophylactic vaccines. In HCV-infected patients, however, neutralizing antibodies are primarily directed against hypervariable region I (HVRI) in the envelope protein E2. HVRI is the most variable region of HCV, and this heterogeneity contributes to viral persistence and has thus far prevented the development of an effective HVRI-based vaccine. The primary goal of an antibody-based HCV vaccine should therefore be the induction of cross-reactive HVRI antibodies. In this study we approached this problem by presenting selected cross-reactive HVRI variants in a highly symmetric repeated array on capsid-like particles (CLPs). SplitCore CLPs, a novel particulate antigen presentation system derived from the HBV core protein, were used to deliberately manipulate the orientation of HVRI and therefore enable the presentation of conserved parts of HVRI. These HVRI-CLPs induced high titers of cross-reactive antibodies, including neutralizing antibodies. The combination of only four HVRI CLPs was sufficient to induce antibodies cross-reactive with 81 of 326 (24.8%) naturally occurring HVRI peptides. Most importantly, HVRI CLPs with AS03 as an adjuvant induced antibodies with a 10-fold increase in neutralizing capability. These antibodies were able to neutralize infectious HCVcc isolates and 4 of 19 (21%) patient-derived HCVpp isolates. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the induction of at least partially cross-neutralizing antibodies is possible. This approach might be useful for the development of a prophylactic HCV vaccine and should also be adaptable to other highly variable viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Lange
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Melanie Fiedler
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - William Osburn
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sergei Viazov
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Olena Brovko
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Yury Khudyakov
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Michael Nassal
- Department of Internal Medicine II, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Paul Pumpens
- Department of Recombinant biotechnology, Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, Latvia
| | | | - Jörg Timm
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Michael Roggendorf
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Andreas Walker
- Institute of Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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