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Li T, Li S, Kang Y, Zhou J, Yi M. Harnessing the evolving CRISPR/Cas9 for precision oncology. J Transl Med 2024; 22:749. [PMID: 39118151 PMCID: PMC11312220 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05570-4] [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: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 system, a groundbreaking innovation in genetic engineering, has revolutionized our approach to surmounting complex diseases, culminating in CASGEVY™ approved for sickle cell anemia. Derived from a microbial immune defense mechanism, CRISPR/Cas9, characterized as precision, maneuverability and universality in gene editing, has been harnessed as a versatile tool for precisely manipulating DNA in mammals. In the process of applying it to practice, the consecutive exploitation of novel orthologs and variants never ceases. It's conducive to understanding the essentialities of diseases, particularly cancer, which is crucial for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. CRISPR/Cas9 is used not only to investigate tumorous genes functioning but also to model disparate cancers, providing valuable insights into tumor biology, resistance, and immune evasion. Upon cancer therapy, CRISPR/Cas9 is instrumental in developing individual and precise cancer therapies that can selectively activate or deactivate genes within tumor cells, aiming to cripple tumor growth and invasion and sensitize cancer cells to treatments. Furthermore, it facilitates the development of innovative treatments, enhancing the targeting efficiency of reprogrammed immune cells, exemplified by advancements in CAR-T regimen. Beyond therapy, it is a potent tool for screening susceptible genes, offering the possibility of intervening before the tumor initiative or progresses. However, despite its vast potential, the application of CRISPR/Cas9 in cancer research and therapy is accompanied by significant efficacy, efficiency, technical, and safety considerations. Escalating technology innovations are warranted to address these issues. The CRISPR/Cas9 system is revolutionizing cancer research and treatment, opening up new avenues for advancements in our understanding and management of cancers. The integration of this evolving technology into clinical practice promises a new era of precision oncology, with targeted, personalized, and potentially curative therapies for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianye Li
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, People's Republic of China
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuiquan Li
- Department of Rehabilitation and Traditional Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yue Kang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital of Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianwei Zhou
- Department of Gynecology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310009, People's Republic of China.
- Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ming Yi
- Department of Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310000, People's Republic of China.
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2
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Mak LY, Cheung KS, Fung J, Seto WK, Yuen MF. New strategies for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Trends Mol Med 2022; 28:742-757. [PMID: 35780008 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2022.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Functional cure, as defined by seroclearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), is the desired treatment endpoint for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection, yet is rarely achieved with the currently approved therapy. Novel treatments currently in the clinical phase of development act by inhibiting viral replication/antigen reduction and/or by restoring host immune control. Although some agents are effective in reducing the viral antigen load, a greater magnitude of suppression is required to achieve functional cure. Compounds that target the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) pool, hepatitis B X (HBx) protein inhibition, and mRNA destabilization are also in the preclinical phase of development. Challenges which remain include the clinical implications, immunological perturbations, and safety of these novel compounds to be used in the real-life setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lung-Yi Mak
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Ka-Shing Cheung
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - James Fung
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wai-Kay Seto
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Man-Fung Yuen
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong; State Key Laboratory of Liver Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
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3
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Jacobs R, Singh P, Smith T, Arbuthnot P, Maepa MB. Prospects of viral vector-mediated delivery of sequences encoding anti-HBV designer endonucleases. Gene Ther 2022:10.1038/s41434-022-00342-5. [PMID: 35606493 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-022-00342-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Available treatment for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection offers modest functional curative efficacy. The viral replicative intermediate comprising covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is responsible for persistent chronic HBV infection. Hence, current efforts have focused on developing therapies that disable cccDNA. Employing gene editing tools has emerged as an attractive strategy, with the end goal of establishing permanently inactivated cccDNA. Although anti-HBV designer nucleases are effective in vivo, none has yet progressed to clinical trial. Lack of safe and efficient delivery systems remains the limiting factor. Several vectors may be used to deliver anti-HBV gene editor-encoding sequences, with viral vectors being at the forefront. Despite the challenges associated with packaging large gene editor-encoding sequences into viral vectors, advancement in the field is overcoming such limitations. Translation of viral vector-mediated gene editing against HBV to clinical application is within reach. This review discusses the prospects of delivering HBV targeted designer nucleases using viral vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ridhwaanah Jacobs
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Prashika Singh
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tiffany Smith
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Patrick Arbuthnot
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mohube Betty Maepa
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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4
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Zhang X, Wang Y, Yang G. Research progress in hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA. Cancer Biol Med 2021; 19:j.issn.2095-3941.2021.0454. [PMID: 34931766 PMCID: PMC9088183 DOI: 10.20892/j.issn.2095-3941.2021.0454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections are a global public health issue. HBV covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), the template for the transcription of viral RNAs, is a key factor in the HBV replication cycle. Notably, many host factors involved in HBV cccDNA epigenetic modulation promote the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The HBV cccDNA minichromosome is a clinical obstacle that cannot be efficiently eliminated. In this review, we provide an update on the advances in research on HBV cccDNA and further discuss factors affecting the modulation of HBV cccDNA. Hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) contributes to HBV cccDNA transcription and the development of hepatocarcinogenesis through modulating host epigenetic regulatory factors, thus linking the cccDNA to hepatocarcinogenesis. The measurable serological biomarkers of continued transcription of cccDNA, the effects of anti-HBV drugs on cccDNA, and potential therapeutic strategies targeting cccDNA are discussed in detail. Thus, this review describes new insights into HBV cccDNA mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for cleaning cccDNA, which will benefit patients with liver diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Zhang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Liver Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Yufei Wang
- Department of Cancer Research, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Guang Yang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Cancer Biology, Liver Cancer Center, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Therapy, Tianjin, Tianjin’s Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Tianjin 300060, China
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5
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Sagnelli C, Sagnelli E. Towards the worldwide eradication of hepatitis B virus infection: A combination of prophylactic and therapeutic factors. World J Clin Infect Dis 2019; 9:11-22. [DOI: 10.5495/wjcid.v9.i2.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is still a global health problem, mostly because of the intermediate/high rates of HBV chronic carriers living in most Asian, African and eastern European countries. The universal HBV vaccination of new-borns undertaken in most nations over the last 3 decades and effective HBV antiviral treatments (nucleos(t)ide analogue with high genetic barrier to viral resistance) introduced in the last decade have shown their beneficial effects in inducing a clear reduction of HBV endemicity in the countries where they have been extensively applied. Great hopes are now placed on new antiviral and immunotherapeutic drugs that are now at an advanced stage of study. It is in fact already conceivable that the synergistic use of new drugs targeting more than one HBV-lifecycle steps (covalent closed circular DNA destruction/silencing, HBV entry inhibitors, nucleocapsid assembly modulators targeting viral transcripts) and of some new immunotherapeutic agents might eliminate the intrahepatic covalent closed circular DNA and achieve the eradication of HBV infection. In spite of this, a strong effort should be given to extensive educational and screening programs for the at-risk population and to the implementation of HBV vaccination in developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Sagnelli
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80131, Italy
| | - Evangelista Sagnelli
- Department of Mental Health and Public Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples 80131, Italy
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6
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Abstract
Hepatitis B virus infection is the cause of liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. Understanding the host-virus mechanisms that mediate virus pathogenesis can help design better preventive measures for disease control. Mathematical models have been used alongside experimental data to provide insight into the role of immune responses during the acute and chronic hepatitis B infections as well as virus dynamics following administration of combined drug therapy. In this paper, we review several modeling studies on virus-host interactions during acute infection, the virus-host characteristics responsible for transition to chronic disease, and the efficacy and optimal control measures of drug therapy. We conclude by presenting our opinion on the future directions of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanca M Ciupe
- Department of Mathematics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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7
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Zheng J, Ou Z, Xu Y, Xia Z, Lin X, Jin S, Liu Y, Wu J. Hepatitis B virus-specific effector CD8 + T cells are an important determinant of disease prognosis: A meta-analysis. Vaccine 2019; 37:2439-2446. [PMID: 30935741 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.03.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis B virus (HBV)-specific effector CD8+ T cells are critical for viral clearance. To determine the effects of HBV-specific effector CD8+ T cells on HBV infection, we performed a meta-analysis of the available literature. METHODS Electronic database searches identified appropriately designed studies that detected specific CD8+ T cells in HBV-infected patients. Our main endpoints were the course of infection, seroconversion of HBV "e" antigen (HBeAg), the level of HBVDNA, and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity. We used a fixed/random model for analysis, according to the results of a heterogeneity test (P value of Q-squared, I2). RESULTS Our searches found five eligible articles. Pooled estimation of the reported results showed that levels of specific CD8+ T cells were significantly higher in patients with acute hepatitis B than in patients with chronic hepatitis B (odds ratio [OR] = 76.30, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.37-378.70). With respect to chronic hepatitis B, patients with <107 copies/ml HBVDNA had higher levels of specific CD8+ T cells relative to patients with >107 copies/ml HBVDNA, but the difference had no statistics significance (OR: 3.89, 95% CI: 0.71-21.33). Patients with negative HBeAg or positive anti-HBeAg antibody (anti-HBe) results had significantly higher levels of specific CD8+ T cells versus patients with positive HBeAg results (OR: 5.82, 95% CI: 1.41-24.13). There were no significant associations between the levels of specific CD8+ T cells and serum ALT activity (OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.01-74.15). CONCLUSION HBV-specific effector CD8+ T cells influence the disease activity in HBV-infected patients in various ways and determine prognosis by eliminating the virus. Therefore, efforts of studying HBV-specific effector CD8+ T cells focused vaccine are potentially needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juzeng Zheng
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Zhanfan Ou
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yilun Xu
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ziqiang Xia
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xianfan Lin
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Sisi Jin
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Jinming Wu
- Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang Province, China.
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8
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De Silva Feelixge HS, Stone D, Roychoudhury P, Aubert M, Jerome KR. CRISPR/Cas9 and Genome Editing for Viral Disease-Is Resistance Futile? ACS Infect Dis 2018; 4:871-880. [PMID: 29522311 PMCID: PMC5993632 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.7b00273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Chronic viral infections remain a major public health issue affecting millions of people worldwide. Highly active antiviral treatments have significantly improved prognosis and infection-related morbidity and mortality but have failed to eliminate persistent viral forms. Therefore, new strategies to either eradicate or control these viral reservoirs are paramount to allow patients to stop antiretroviral therapy and realize a cure. Viral genome disruption based on gene editing by programmable endonucleases is one promising curative gene therapy approach. Recent findings on RNA-guided human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) genome cleavage by Cas9 and other gene-editing enzymes in latently infected cells have shown high levels of site-specific genome disruption and potent inhibition of virus replication. However, HIV-1 can readily develop resistance to genome editing at a single antiviral target site. Current data suggest that cellular repair associated with DNA double-strand breaks can accelerate the emergence of resistance. On the other hand, a combination antiviral target strategy can exploit the same repair mechanism to functionally cure HIV-1 infection in vitro while avoiding the development of resistance. This perspective summarizes recent findings on the biology of resistance to genome editing and discusses the significance of viral genetic diversity on the application of gene editing strategies toward cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshana S De Silva Feelixge
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle 98109, WA, USA
| | - Daniel Stone
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle 98109, WA, USA
| | - Pavitra Roychoudhury
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle 98195, WA, USA
| | - Martine Aubert
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle 98109, WA, USA
| | - Keith R Jerome
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave N, Seattle 98109, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle 98195, WA, USA
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle 98195, WA, USA
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9
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Dusheiko G. Current and future directions of management of hepatitis B: steps toward a cure. Future Virol 2018. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl-2017-0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Universal hepatitis B virus vaccination has been effective in reducing incident chronic hepatitis B but will not have the requisite effect on the prevalence of end-stage liver disease in chronically infected persons. The natural history and immunological stages of hepatitis B virus infection are still being defined. Over three decades, current therapies have reduced morbidity from chronic hepatitis B. The majority require nucleoside analog maintenance therapy. The preferential preservation of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), and capsid reverse transcriptase–cccDNA interactions currently precludes cure in most. A functional cure in the host may require several synergistic antiviral and immunological intercessions. The correct sequencing and combinations of treatment with either host or viral targeting agents have yet to be determined. Proven surrogates for cccDNA for clinical trials are required. Different strategies may become apparent for patients at different stages of the disease. Curative therapies will require affordability. This review focuses on steps toward a cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Dusheiko
- Kings College Hospital & University College London Medical School, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, UK
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10
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Moyo B, Bloom K, Scott T, Ely A, Arbuthnot P. Advances with using CRISPR/Cas-mediated gene editing to treat infections with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus. Virus Res 2018; 244:311-320. [PMID: 28087399 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2016] [Revised: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chronic infections with hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses (HBV and HCV) account for the majority of cases of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Current therapies for the infections have limitations and improved efficacy is necessary to prevent complications in carriers of the viruses. In the case of HBV persistence, the replication intermediate comprising covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is particularly problematic. Licensed therapies have little effect on cccDNA and HBV replication relapses following treatment withdrawal. Disabling cccDNA is thus key to curing HBV infections and application of gene editing technology, such as harnessing the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9) system, has curative potential. Several studies have reported good efficacy when employing CRISPR/Cas technologies to disable HBV replication in cultured cells and in hydrodynamically injected mice. Recent advances with HCV drug development have revolutionized treatment of the infection. Nevertheless, individuals may be refractory to treatment. Targeting RNA from HCV with CRISPR/Cas isolated from Francisella novicida may have therapeutic utility. Although preclinical work shows that CRISPR/Cas technology has potential to overcome infection with HBV and HCV, significant challenges need to be met. Ensuring specificity for viral targets and efficient delivery of the gene editing sequences to virus-infected cells are particularly important. The field is at an interesting stage and the future of curative antiviral drug regimens, particularly for treatment of chronic HBV infection, may well entail use of combinations that include derivatives of CRISPR/Cas.
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MESH Headings
- Bacterial Proteins/genetics
- Bacterial Proteins/metabolism
- CRISPR-Associated Protein 9
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
- DNA Cleavage
- DNA, Circular/genetics
- DNA, Circular/metabolism
- DNA, Viral/genetics
- DNA, Viral/metabolism
- Endonucleases/genetics
- Endonucleases/metabolism
- Hepacivirus/genetics
- Hepacivirus/growth & development
- Hepacivirus/metabolism
- Hepatitis B virus/genetics
- Hepatitis B virus/growth & development
- Hepatitis B virus/metabolism
- Hepatitis B, Chronic/therapy
- Hepatitis B, Chronic/virology
- Hepatitis C, Chronic/therapy
- Hepatitis C, Chronic/virology
- Humans
- Molecular Targeted Therapy/methods
- Patient Safety
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/metabolism
- Virus Replication
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Affiliation(s)
- Buhle Moyo
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Kristie Bloom
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tristan Scott
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Center for Gene Therapy, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Abdullah Ely
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Patrick Arbuthnot
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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11
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Trevisan M, Palù G, Barzon L. Genome editing technologies to fight infectious diseases. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther 2017; 15:1001-1013. [PMID: 29090592 DOI: 10.1080/14787210.2017.1400379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Genome editing by programmable nucleases represents a promising tool that could be exploited to develop new therapeutic strategies to fight infectious diseases. These nucleases, such as zinc-finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) and homing endonucleases, are molecular scissors that can be targeted at predetermined loci in order to modify the genome sequence of an organism. Areas covered: By perturbing genomic DNA at predetermined loci, programmable nucleases can be used as antiviral and antimicrobial treatment. This approach includes targeting of essential viral genes or viral sequences able, once mutated, to inhibit viral replication; repurposing of CRISPR-Cas9 system for lethal self-targeting of bacteria; targeting antibiotic-resistance and virulence genes in bacteria, fungi, and parasites; engineering arthropod vectors to prevent vector-borne infections. Expert commentary: While progress has been done in demonstrating the feasibility of using genome editing as antimicrobial strategy, there are still many hurdles to overcome, such as the risk of off-target mutations, the raising of escape mutants, and the inefficiency of delivery methods, before translating results from preclinical studies into clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Trevisan
- a Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Giorgio Palù
- a Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Luisa Barzon
- a Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
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12
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Jerome KR. Disruption or Excision of Provirus as an Approach to HIV Cure. AIDS Patient Care STDS 2016; 30:551-555. [PMID: 27855263 DOI: 10.1089/apc.2016.0232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
An effective approach to HIV cure will almost certainly require a combination of strategies, including some means of reducing the latent HIV reservoir. Because the integrated HIV provirus represents the major source of viral persistence and reactivation, one attractive approach is the direct targeting of provirus for disruption or excision using targeted endonucleases, such as CRISPR/Cas9, zinc finger nucleases, TAL effector nucleases, or meganucleases (homing endonucleases). This article highlights some of the challenges for successful endonuclease therapy for HIV, including optimization of enzyme activity and specificity, the possible emergence of viral resistance, and most importantly, efficient in vivo delivery of the enzymes to a sufficient portion of the latent reservoir.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith R. Jerome
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington
- Virology Division, Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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13
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Aubert M, Madden EA, Loprieno M, DeSilva Feelixge HS, Stensland L, Huang ML, Greninger AL, Roychoudhury P, Niyonzima N, Nguyen T, Magaret A, Galleto R, Stone D, Jerome KR. In vivo disruption of latent HSV by designer endonuclease therapy. JCI Insight 2016; 1. [PMID: 27642635 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.88468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A large portion of the global population carries latent herpes simplex virus (HSV), which can periodically reactivate, resulting in asymptomatic shedding or formation of ulcerative lesions. Current anti-HSV drugs do not eliminate latent virus from sensory neurons where HSV resides, and therefore do not eliminate the risk of transmission or recurrent disease. Here, we report the ability of HSV-specific endonucleases to induce mutations of essential HSV genes both in cultured neurons and in latently infected mice. In neurons, viral genomes are susceptible to endonuclease-mediated mutagenesis, regardless of the time of treatment after HSV infection, suggesting that both HSV lytic and latent forms can be targeted. Mutagenesis frequency after endonuclease exposure can be increased nearly 2-fold by treatment with a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor. Using a mouse model of latent HSV infection, we demonstrate that a targeted endonuclease can be delivered to viral latency sites via an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector, where it is able to induce mutation of latent HSV genomes. These data provide the first proof-of-principle to our knowledge for the use of a targeted endonuclease as an antiviral agent to treat an established latent viral infection in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine Aubert
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Emily A Madden
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Michelle Loprieno
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Laurence Stensland
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Meei-Li Huang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Alexander L Greninger
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Pavitra Roychoudhury
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Nixon Niyonzima
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Thuy Nguyen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Amalia Magaret
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Daniel Stone
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Keith R Jerome
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA; Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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14
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Stone D, Niyonzima N, Jerome KR. Genome editing and the next generation of antiviral therapy. Hum Genet 2016; 135:1071-82. [PMID: 27272125 PMCID: PMC5002242 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-016-1686-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Engineered endonucleases such as homing endonucleases (HEs), zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), Tal-effector nucleases (TALENS) and the RNA-guided engineered nucleases (RGENs or CRISPR/Cas9) can target specific DNA sequences for cleavage, and are proving to be valuable tools for gene editing. Recently engineered endonucleases have shown great promise as therapeutics for the treatment of genetic disease and infectious pathogens. In this review, we discuss recent efforts to use the HE, ZFN, TALEN and CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing platforms as antiviral therapeutics. We also discuss the obstacles facing gene-editing antiviral therapeutics as they are tested in animal models of disease and transition towards human application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Stone
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nixon Niyonzima
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Keith R. Jerome
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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15
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Li H, Sheng C, Liu H, Liu G, Du X, Du J, Zhan L, Li P, Yang C, Qi L, Wang J, Yang X, Jia L, Xie J, Wang L, Hao R, Xu D, Tong Y, Zhou Y, Zhou J, Sun Y, Li Q, Qiu S, Song H. An Effective Molecular Target Site in Hepatitis B Virus S Gene for Cas9 Cleavage and Mutational Inactivation. Int J Biol Sci 2016; 12:1104-13. [PMID: 27570484 PMCID: PMC4997054 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.16064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B infection remains incurable because HBV cccDNA can persist indefinitely in patients recovering from acute HBV infection. Given the incidence of HBV infection and the shortcomings of current therapeutic options, a novel antiviral strategy is urgently needed. To inactivate HBV replication and destroy the HBV genome, we employed genome editing tool CRISPR/Cas9. Specifically, we found a CRISPR/Cas9 system (gRNA-S4) that effectively targeted the HBsAg region and could suppress efficiently viral replication with minimal off-target effects and impact on cell viability. The mutation mediated by CRISPR/Cas9 in HBV DNA both in a stable HBV-producing cell line and in HBV transgenic mice had been confirmed and evaluated using deep sequencing. In addition, we demonstrated the reduction of HBV replication was caused by the mutation of S4 site through three S4 region-mutated monoclonal cells. Besides, the gRNA-S4 system could also reduce serum surface-antigen levels by 99.91 ± 0.05% and lowered serum HBV DNA level below the negative threshold in the HBV hydrodynamics mouse model. Together, these findings indicate that the S4 region may be an ideal target for the development of innovative therapies against HBV infection using CRISPR/Cas9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Li
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunyu Sheng
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongbo Liu
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guangze Liu
- Transgenic Engineering Research Laboratory, Infectious Disease Center, Guangzhou 458 th Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xinying Du
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Du
- Lab of Blood-Borne Viruses, Beijing Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Linsheng Zhan
- Lab of Blood-Borne Viruses, Beijing Institute of Transfusion Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Li
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chaojie Yang
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lihua Qi
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Wang
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoxia Yang
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Leili Jia
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Xie
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ligui Wang
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rongzhang Hao
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dongping Xu
- Research Center for Liver Failure, Beijing 302 nd Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yigang Tong
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | - Yusen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, China
| | | | - Yansong Sun
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiao Li
- Department of Surgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Shaofu Qiu
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongbin Song
- Institute of Disease Control and Prevention, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
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16
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Morikawa K, Suda G, Sakamoto N. Viral life cycle of hepatitis B virus: Host factors and druggable targets. Hepatol Res 2016; 46:871-7. [PMID: 26776362 DOI: 10.1111/hepr.12650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Revised: 01/09/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kenichi Morikawa
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Hospital, Sapporo, Japan.,Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Goki Suda
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Naoya Sakamoto
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan
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17
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Roychoudhury P, De Silva Feelixge HS, Pietz HL, Stone D, Jerome KR, Schiffer JT. Pharmacodynamics of anti-HIV gene therapy using viral vectors and targeted endonucleases. J Antimicrob Chemother 2016; 71:2089-99. [PMID: 27090632 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkw104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2015] [Accepted: 02/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES A promising curative approach for HIV is to use designer endonucleases that bind and cleave specific target sequences within latent genomes, resulting in mutations that render the virus replication incompetent. We developed a mathematical model to describe the expression and activity of endonucleases delivered to HIV-infected cells using engineered viral vectors in order to guide dose selection and predict therapeutic outcomes. METHODS We developed a mechanistic model that predicts the number of transgene copies expressed at a given dose in individual target cells from fluorescence of a reporter gene. We fitted the model to flow cytometry datasets to determine the optimal vector serotype, promoter and dose required to achieve maximum expression. RESULTS We showed that our model provides a more accurate measure of transduction efficiency compared with gating-based methods, which underestimate the percentage of cells expressing reporter genes. We identified that gene expression follows a sigmoid dose-response relationship and that the level of gene expression saturation depends on vector serotype and promoter. We also demonstrated that significant bottlenecks exist at the level of viral uptake and gene expression: only ∼1 in 220 added vectors enter a cell and, of these, depending on the dose and promoter used, between 1 in 15 and 1 in 1500 express transgene. CONCLUSIONS Our model provides a quantitative method of dose selection and optimization that can be readily applied to a wide range of other gene therapy applications. Reducing bottlenecks in delivery will be key to reducing the number of doses required for a functional cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavitra Roychoudhury
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Harlan L Pietz
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Daniel Stone
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Keith R Jerome
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Joshua T Schiffer
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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18
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Lucifora J, Protzer U. Attacking hepatitis B virus cccDNA--The holy grail to hepatitis B cure. J Hepatol 2016; 64:S41-S48. [PMID: 27084036 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhep.2016.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
HBV deposits a covalently closed circular DNA form, called cccDNA, in the nucleus of infected cells. As the central transcription template, the cccDNA minichromosome is a key intermediate in the HBV life cycle. Its location in the nucleus makes cccDNA a difficult target for antivirals and immune response, and therefore it is responsible for chronicity of HBV infection. While little is known about the mechanisms involved in cccDNA formation, current research is accumulating data on the mechanisms regulating transcription from cccDNA, and the first potential targeting approaches have been reported. This review will summarize our knowledge about cccDNA biology and the latest advances in cccDNA targeting strategies in order to finally achieve an HBV cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Lucifora
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Lyon 69008, France; INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR-5286, Lyon 69008, France; University of Lyon, Université Claude-Bernard (UCBL), 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Ulrike Protzer
- Institute of Virology, Technische Universität München/Helmholtz Zentrum München, Trogerstrasse 30, 81675 Munich, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Munich Site, Germany.
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19
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Ely A, Moyo B, Arbuthnot P. Progress With Developing Use of Gene Editing To Cure Chronic Infection With Hepatitis B Virus. Mol Ther 2016; 24:671-7. [PMID: 26916283 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2016.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) occurs in approximately 6% of the world's population. Carriers of the virus are at risk for life-threatening complications, and developing curative treatment remains a priority. The main shortcoming of licensed therapies is that they do not affect viral covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), a stable intermediate of replication. Harnessing gene editing to mutate cccDNA provides the means to inactivate HBV gene expression permanently. Reports have described use of engineered zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) with CRISPR-associated (Cas) nucleases. Although inhibition of viral replication has been demonstrated, reliably detecting mutations in cccDNA has been difficult. Also, the dearth of murine models that mimic cccDNA formation has hampered analysis in vivo. To reach a stage of clinical use, efficient delivery of the editors to HBV-infected hepatocytes and limiting unintended off-target effects will be important. Investigating therapeutic efficacy in combination with other treatment strategies, such as immunotherapies, may be useful to augment antiviral effects. Advancing gene editing as a mode of treating HBV infection is now at an interesting stage and significant progress is likely to be made in the immediate future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Ely
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Buhle Moyo
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Patrick Arbuthnot
- Wits/SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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20
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Demma S, Dusheiko G. The current treatment situation and definitions of a cure for chronic HBV infection. Future Virol 2016. [DOI: 10.2217/fvl.15.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
HBV vaccination, while effective in reducing incident chronic disease in endemic regions, will not have the desired impact on the rates of end-stage liver disease in chronically infected persons. Over three decades, IFN-α and nucleoside analogs have reduced the morbidity from the disease. A large reservoir of chronic infection remains. The natural history of HBV infection is still being defined. Understanding the interactions between HBV and the host will be fundamental to achieving higher rates of cure. Curing hepatitis B will require several steps for either eradication, or a functional cure in the host. It is unclear whether covently closed circular DNA chromatin would need to be cleared to cure hepatitis B, or whether low threshold levels would slow the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shirin Demma
- UCL institute of Liver & Digestive Health & Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Hepatology Unit, Department of Medical & Pediatric Sciences, University of Catania, Policlinic, Via S. Sofia No 78, 95123 Catania, Italy
| | - Geoffrey Dusheiko
- UCL institute of Liver & Digestive Health & Royal Free NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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21
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Zhao Y, Wang T, Yu Z, Wang H, Liu B, Wu C, Teng CB. Inhibiting cyprinid herpesvirus-3 replication with CRISPR/Cas9. Biotechnol Lett 2015; 38:573-8. [PMID: 26712370 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-015-2020-0] [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] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The potential of CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to repress CyHV-3 was tested in vitro. RESULTS By targeting two basic target genes necessary for the early transcription of CyHV-3, we show that virus transcription and particle release were significantly decreased by CRISPR/Cas9, as measured by quantitative real-time PCR and virus titration experiments, respectively. CONCLUSIONS (A) The effectiveness is confirmed of the CRISPR/Cas9 system at repressing exogenous genes, including large viral genomic DNA, by introducing site-specific mutations in vitro. (B) The CyHV-3 virus replicates poorly in Cas9-positive cells. (C) The inhibition of thymidine kinase alone cannot block viral particle release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicheng Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.,College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Tiedong Wang
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ze Yu
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Heming Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Bo Liu
- College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, China.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Chunyan Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Chun-Bo Teng
- College of Life Sciences, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
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22
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Detection of treatment-resistant infectious HIV after genome-directed antiviral endonuclease therapy. Antiviral Res 2015; 126:90-8. [PMID: 26718067 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2015.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2015] [Revised: 12/11/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Incurable chronic viral infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. One potential approach to cure persistent viral infections is via the use of targeted endonucleases. Nevertheless, a potential concern for endonuclease-based antiviral therapies is the emergence of treatment resistance. Here we detect for the first time an endonuclease-resistant infectious virus that is found with high frequency after antiviral endonuclease therapy. While testing the activity of HIV pol-specific zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) alone or in combination with three prime repair exonuclease 2 (Trex2), we identified a treatment-resistant and infectious mutant virus that was derived from a ZFN-mediated disruption of reverse transcriptase (RT). Although gene disruption of HIV protease, RT and integrase could inhibit viral replication, a chance single amino acid insertion within the thumb domain of RT produced a virus that could actively replicate. The endonuclease-resistant virus could replicate in primary CD4(+) T cells, but remained susceptible to treatment with antiretroviral RT inhibitors. When secondary ZFN-derived mutations were introduced into the mutant virus's RT or integrase domains, replication could be abolished. Our observations suggest that caution should be exercised during endonuclease-based antiviral therapies; however, combination endonuclease therapies may prevent the emergence of resistance.
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23
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CRISPR/Cas9 nickase-mediated disruption of hepatitis B virus open reading frame S and X. Sci Rep 2015; 5:13734. [PMID: 26334116 PMCID: PMC4558539 DOI: 10.1038/srep13734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Current antiviral therapies cannot cure hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection; successful HBV eradication would require inactivation of the viral genome, which primarily persists in host cells as episomal covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and, to a lesser extent, as chromosomally integrated sequences. However, novel designer enzymes, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 RNA-guided nuclease system, provide technologies for developing advanced therapy strategies that could directly attack the HBV genome. For therapeutic application in humans, such designer nucleases should recognize various HBV genotypes and cause minimal off-target effects. Here, we identified cross-genotype conserved HBV sequences in the S and X region of the HBV genome that were targeted for specific and effective cleavage by a Cas9 nickase. This approach disrupted not only episomal cccDNA and chromosomally integrated HBV target sites in reporter cell lines, but also HBV replication in chronically and de novo infected hepatoma cell lines. Our data demonstrate the feasibility of using the CRISPR/Cas9 nickase system for novel therapy strategies aiming to cure HBV infection.
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24
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Qian F, Li M, Zhu CW. Impact of antiviral agents on levels of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA. Shijie Huaren Xiaohua Zazhi 2015; 23:3495-3504. [DOI: 10.11569/wcjd.v23.i22.3495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains an incurable disease at present, which is mainly because the approved antiviral agents, such as interferon-alpha and nucleos(t)ide analogues, cannot effectively eradicate intrahepatic hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). And thus a suboptimal efficacy of antiviral agents and relapse after therapy occur very commonly. Therefore, novel drugs and treatment strategies remain to be developed on the basis of further theoretical and clinical research of HBV infection to achieve the ultimate goal of eradication of HBV cccDNA in the future. In this paper, we discuss multiple agents and therapeutic regimens influencing cccDNA levels, in order to help clinicians comprehensively understand the present situation in the research of the clearance of HBV cccDNA.
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25
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Zeisel MB, Lucifora J, Mason WS, Sureau C, Beck J, Levrero M, Kann M, Knolle PA, Benkirane M, Durantel D, Michel ML, Autran B, Cosset FL, Strick-Marchand H, Trépo C, Kao JH, Carrat F, Lacombe K, Schinazi RF, Barré-Sinoussi F, Delfraissy JF, Zoulim F. Towards an HBV cure: state-of-the-art and unresolved questions--report of the ANRS workshop on HBV cure. Gut 2015; 64:1314-26. [PMID: 25670809 DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2014-308943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 207] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 01/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
HBV infection is a major cause of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although HBV infection can be efficiently prevented by vaccination, and treatments are available, to date there is no reliable cure for the >240 million individuals that are chronically infected worldwide. Current treatments can only achieve viral suppression, and lifelong therapy is needed in the majority of infected persons. In the framework of the French National Agency for Research on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis 'HBV Cure' programme, a scientific workshop was held in Paris in June 2014 to define the state-of-the-art and unanswered questions regarding HBV pathobiology, and to develop a concerted strategy towards an HBV cure. This review summarises our current understanding of HBV host-interactions leading to viral persistence, as well as the roadblocks to be overcome to ultimately address unmet medical needs in the treatment of chronic HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam B Zeisel
- Inserm, U1110, Institut de Recherche sur les Maladies Virales et Hépatiques, Strasbourg, France Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Julie Lucifora
- Inserm U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Université de Lyon (UCBL), Lyon, France
| | | | - Camille Sureau
- INTS, Laboratoire de Virologie Moléculaire, Paris, France
| | - Jürgen Beck
- Department of Internal Medicine 2/Molecular Biology, University Hospital Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Massimo Levrero
- Center for Life Nanosciences (CNLS)-IIT/Sapienza, Rome, Italy Laboratory of Gene Expression, Department of Internal Medicine (DMISM), Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Michael Kann
- Université de Bordeaux, Microbiologie fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, Bordeaux, France CNRS, Microbiologie fondamentale et Pathogénicité, UMR 5234, Bordeaux, France CHU de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Percy A Knolle
- Technische Universität München, Institut für Molekulare Immunologie, München, Germany
| | - Monsef Benkirane
- Institut de Génétique Humaine, Laboratoire de Virologie Moléculaire, CNRS UPR1142, Montpellier, France
| | - David Durantel
- Inserm U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Université de Lyon (UCBL), Lyon, France
| | - Marie-Louise Michel
- Laboratoire de Pathogenèse des Virus de l'Hépatite B, Département de Virologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Brigitte Autran
- Laboratory of Immunity and Infection, Inserm U945, Paris, France Laboratory of Immunity and Infection, UPMC University Paris 06, Unité mixte de recherche-S945, Paris, France Inserm, IFR 113, Immunité-Cancer-Infection, Paris, France
| | - François-Loïc Cosset
- CIRI-International Center for Infectiology Research, Team EVIR, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France. Inserm, U1111, Lyon, France Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France. CNRS, UMR5308, Lyon, France LabEx Ecofect, Université de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | - Christian Trépo
- Inserm U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Université de Lyon (UCBL), Lyon, France Department of Hepatology, Croix-Rousse Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Jia-Horng Kao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Department of Medical Research, Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University College of Medicine and Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Fabrice Carrat
- Inserm, UMR_S 1136, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris, France Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Karine Lacombe
- Inserm, UMR_S 1136, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Paris, France Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Paris, France Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Paris, France
| | - Raymond F Schinazi
- Center for AIDS Research, Emory University School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Françoise Barré-Sinoussi
- Inserm and Unit of Regulation of Retroviral Infections, Department of Virology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | | | - Fabien Zoulim
- Inserm U1052, CNRS UMR 5286, Cancer Research Center of Lyon (CRCL), Université de Lyon (UCBL), Lyon, France Department of Hepatology, Croix-Rousse Hospital, Hospices Civils de Lyon, Lyon, France
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26
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Ohno M, Otsuka M, Kishikawa T, Yoshikawa T, Takata A, Koike K. Novel therapeutic approaches for hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA. World J Gastroenterol 2015; 21:7084-7088. [PMID: 26109795 PMCID: PMC4476870 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i23.7084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Revised: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global health problem. Although current therapies, such as the use of nucleos(t)ide analogs, inhibit HBV replication efficiently, they do not eliminate covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which persists in hepatocyte nuclei. As HBV cccDNA is a viral transcription template, novel therapeutic approaches to directly target HBV cccDNA are necessary to completely eradicate persistent HBV infections. HBV cccDNA levels in HBV-infected human liver cells are extremely low; thus, more reliable and simple measurement methods are needed to correctly monitor their levels during therapeutic treatment. Although reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction or Southern blot procedures are currently used in research studies, these methods are not completely reliable and are also time-consuming and labor-intensive. Genome editing technologies, such as zinc finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system, which are designed to target specific DNA sequences, represent highly promising potential therapeutic tools. In particular, the CRISPR/Cas9 system is an easily customizable sequence-specific nuclease with high flexibility and may be the most feasible approach to target HBV cccDNA. Further research to develop easier, safer, and more effective protocols should be pursued.
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27
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Phyo WW, Soh AYS, Lim SG, Lee GH. Search for a cure for chronic hepatitis B infection: How close are we? World J Hepatol 2015; 7:1272-1281. [PMID: 26019743 PMCID: PMC4438502 DOI: 10.4254/wjh.v7.i9.1272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 02/12/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains a significant unmet medical need, with 240 million chronically infected persons worldwide. It can be controlled effectively with either nucleoside/nucleotide-based or interferon-based therapies. However, most patients receiving these therapies will relapse after treatment withdrawal. During recent years, the advances in molecular biology and immunology have enabled a better understanding of the viral-host interaction and inspired new treatment approaches to achieve either elimination of the virus from the liver or durable immune control of the infection. This review aims to provide a brief overview on the potential new therapies that may overcome the challenge of persistent CHB infection in the near future.
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Harnessing the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated Cas9 system to disrupt the hepatitis B virus. Gene Ther 2015; 22:404-12. [PMID: 25652100 DOI: 10.1038/gt.2015.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2014] [Revised: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The current therapies to treat hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are limited. Recently, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) systems, originally identified in bacteria and archaea, have been found to consist of an RNA-based adaptive immune system that degrades complimentary sequences of invading plasmids and viruses. Here, we studied the effects of the CRISPR/CRISPR-associated Cas9 system that was targeted to the surface antigen (HBsAg)-encoding region of HBV, both in a cell culture system and in vivo. The HBsAg levels in the media of the cells and in the sera of mice were analyzed by a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The HBV DNA levels were assessed by quantitative PCR and HBsAg expression in mouse livers was assessed by an immunohistochemical assay. The amount of HBsAg secreted in the cell culture and mouse serum was reduced by CRISPR/Cas9 treatment. Immunohistochemistry analyses showed almost no HBsAg-positive cells in the liver tissue of CRISPR/Cas9-S1+X3-treated mice. The CRISPR/Cas9 system efficiently produced mutations in HBV DNA. Thus, CRISPR/Cas9 inhibits HBV replication and expression in vitro and in vivo and may constitute a new therapeutic strategy for HBV infection.
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Dusheiko G. Towards the elimination and eradication of hepatitis B. J Virus Erad 2015; 1:4-12. [PMID: 27482390 PMCID: PMC4946670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the introduction of vaccination, chronic hepatitis B remains a major cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality including cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Maintenance antiviral therapy is required for most people, as low rates of cure occur. The stated aim of therapy presently is HBV DNA suppression; effective suppression of viral replication is associated with significant reductions in morbidity from end-stage liver failure and to an extent, hepatocellular carcinoma. Unfortunately, major barriers to cure, such as a reservoir of episomal covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) (the HBV minichromosome), and a dysfunctional immune response, pose challenges. These barriers will need to be overcome to ensure higher rates of cure than can be achieved presently. Quantitative and diagnostic testing for HBV DNA is not generally available, hampering effective monitoring and treatment in low-income countries. The majority of patients in resource-constrained countries are not identified before the onset of cirrhosis. Without coordinated action, and transfer of new diagnostic technologies and treatments to low-income countries, recent therapeutic advances will have little effect on the global burden of disease. A shift to curative treatment for the majority would be a major advance in the elimination of hepatitis B. New and improved molecular therapeutics and immunological strategies for the treatment of chronic hepatitis are emerging, however. A number of promising lines of development are in progress. A curative regimen may require a combination of viral suppression via nucleoside analogue therapy to prevent cccDNA amplification and viral propagation, safe selective cccDNA inhibitors to deplete, silence or degrade cccDNA, agents to block the entry of HBV into the hepatocyte plus compounds to prevent capsid assembly and cccDNA interactions. Targeted immune activation could restore the exhausted immune cell repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geoffrey Dusheiko
- UCL Institute of Liver and Digestive Health and Royal Free Hospital,
London,
UK
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Arbuthnot P. Antiviral Gene Therapy. GENE THERAPY FOR VIRAL INFECTIONS 2015. [PMCID: PMC7149688 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-410518-8.00012-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Antiviral gene therapy conveniently relies on use of rationally designed nucleic acids to disable replication of the pathogens. Popular targets for this therapy have been sequences encoding viral proteins and cellular host factors on which viruses depend for their replication. Therefore, availability of technologies that inactivate genes specifically, safely and effectively is crucial. Hence, discovery of RNA interference and advances in gene editing methods have been particularly important to the field. Gene transfer to induce prophylactic and therapeutic immunostimulation is also being developed to manage viral infections. Although promising, progress and ultimate success of antiviral gene therapy is dependent on several factors. These include overcoming problems that are generic to the field and influences of elements that are particular to specific viral infections. Viral and nonviral vectors (NVVs) have been used to deliver antiviral sequences, and both have advantages and drawbacks. Viral vectors are suited to delivering DNA-based expression cassettes, including immunostimulatory and virus-targeting sequences, whereas NVVs may be better applied to carrying therapeutic RNAs such as synthetic short interfering RNAs or mRNAs. Nonviral formulations are appealing because they cause limited immunostimulation, obviate mutagenic effects of DNA, and are amenable to easier dose control and large-scale synthesis. To date, encouraging results have been obtained in preclinical and clinical assessments of gene therapy against HIV-1, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and Ebola viruses, among others. In the long term, widespread application of antiviral gene therapy will be dependent on the technology demonstrating good efficacy and advantages over other antiviral strategies. Access to appropriate material and human resources that are required for implementation of the technologies in various settings will also be important.
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Yang HC, Kao JH. Persistence of hepatitis B virus covalently closed circular DNA in hepatocytes: molecular mechanisms and clinical significance. Emerg Microbes Infect 2014; 3:e64. [PMID: 26038757 PMCID: PMC4185362 DOI: 10.1038/emi.2014.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2014] [Revised: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is the transcriptional template of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Extensive research over the past decades has unveiled the important role of cccDNA in the natural history and antiviral treatment of chronic HBV infection. cccDNA can persist in patients recovering from acute HBV infection for decades. This explains why HBV reactivation occasionally occurs in patients with resolved hepatitis B receiving intensive immunosuppressive agents. In addition, although advances in antiviral treatment dramatically improve the adverse outcomes of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), accumulating evidence demonstrates that current antiviral treatments alone, be they nucleos(t)ide analogs (NAs) or interferon (IFN), fail to cure most CHB patients because of the persistent cccDNA. NA suppresses HBV replication by directly inhibiting viral polymerase, while IFN enhances host immunity against HBV infection. Viral rebound often occurs after discontinuation of antiviral treatment. The loss of cccDNA can be induced by non-cytolytic destruction of cccDNA or immune-mediated killing of infected hepatocytes. It is known that NA has no direct effect on viral transcription or cccDNA stability. Therefore, the long half-life of hepatocytes leads to a very slow decline in cccDNA in patients under antiviral therapy. Novel antiviral agents targeting cccDNA or cccDNA-containing hepatocytes are thus required for curing chronic HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hung-Chih Yang
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine , Taipei 10002, Taiwan, China ; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine , Taipei 10002, Taiwan, China ; Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital , Taipei 10002, Taiwan, China
| | - Jia-Horng Kao
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine , Taipei 10002, Taiwan, China ; Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital , Taipei 10002, Taiwan, China ; Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital , Taipei 10002, Taiwan, China ; Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital , Taipei 10002, Taiwan, China
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The CRISPR/Cas9 System Facilitates Clearance of the Intrahepatic HBV Templates In Vivo. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2014; 3:e186. [PMID: 25137139 PMCID: PMC4221598 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2014.38] [Citation(s) in RCA: 290] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2014] [Accepted: 06/30/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) under current antiviral therapy is a major barrier to eradication of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Curing CHB will require novel strategies for specific disruption of cccDNA. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system is a newly developed tool for site-specific cleavage of DNA targets directed by a synthetic guide RNA (gRNA) base-paired to the target DNA sequence. To examine whether this system can cleave HBV genomes, we designed eight gRNAs against HBV of genotype A. With the HBV-specific gRNAs, the CRISPR/Cas9 system significantly reduced the production of HBV core and surface proteins in Huh-7 cells transfected with an HBV-expression vector. Among eight screened gRNAs, two effective ones were identified. Interestingly, one gRNA targeting the conserved HBV sequence acted against different genotypes. Using a hydrodynamics-HBV persistence mouse model, we further demonstrated that this system could cleave the intrahepatic HBV genome-containing plasmid and facilitate its clearance in vivo, resulting in reduction of serum surface antigen levels. These data suggest that the CRISPR/Cas9 system could disrupt the HBV-expressing templates both in vitro and in vivo, indicating its potential in eradicating persistent HBV infection.
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Lin SR, Yang HC, Kuo YT, Liu CJ, Yang TY, Sung KC, Lin YY, Wang HY, Wang CC, Shen YC, Wu FY, Kao JH, Chen DS, Chen PJ. The CRISPR/Cas9 System Facilitates Clearance of the Intrahepatic HBV Templates In Vivo. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2014. [PMID: 25137139 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Persistence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) under current antiviral therapy is a major barrier to eradication of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Curing CHB will require novel strategies for specific disruption of cccDNA. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system is a newly developed tool for site-specific cleavage of DNA targets directed by a synthetic guide RNA (gRNA) base-paired to the target DNA sequence. To examine whether this system can cleave HBV genomes, we designed eight gRNAs against HBV of genotype A. With the HBV-specific gRNAs, the CRISPR/Cas9 system significantly reduced the production of HBV core and surface proteins in Huh-7 cells transfected with an HBV-expression vector. Among eight screened gRNAs, two effective ones were identified. Interestingly, one gRNA targeting the conserved HBV sequence acted against different genotypes. Using a hydrodynamics-HBV persistence mouse model, we further demonstrated that this system could cleave the intrahepatic HBV genome-containing plasmid and facilitate its clearance in vivo, resulting in reduction of serum surface antigen levels. These data suggest that the CRISPR/Cas9 system could disrupt the HBV-expressing templates both in vitro and in vivo, indicating its potential in eradicating persistent HBV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su-Ru Lin
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Chih Yang
- 1] Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan [2] Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan [3] Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Ting Kuo
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Jen Liu
- 1] Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan [2] Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan [3] Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ta-Yu Yang
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ku-Chun Sung
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - You-Yu Lin
- 1] Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan [2] Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University College of Life Science, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hurng-Yi Wang
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Chiang Wang
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yueh-Chi Shen
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Fang-Yi Wu
- Department of Microbiology, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jia-Horng Kao
- 1] Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan [2] Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan [3] Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan [4] Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ding-Shinn Chen
- 1] Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan [2] Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan [3] Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan [4] Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Jer Chen
- 1] Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan [2] Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan [3] Hepatitis Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan [4] Department of Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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35
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Grzegorzewska AE, Pajzderski D, Sowińska A, Jagodziński PP. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 gene (MCP-1-2518 A/G) polymorphism and serological markers of hepatitis B virus infection in hemodialysis patients. Med Sci Monit 2014; 20:1101-16. [PMID: 24975639 PMCID: PMC4087078 DOI: 10.12659/msm.891009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The role of MCP1-2518 A/G in hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is controversial. Our aim was to evaluate the frequency distribution of MCP1-2518 A/G (rs1024611) polymorphic variants in hemodialysis (HD) patients without or with type 2 diabetes in relation to serological markers of HBV infection. Material/Methods HD patients (n=170, 48 with diagnosis of type 2 diabetes), who tested positive for total antibodies to HBV core antigen (anti-HBc), underwent MCP1 genotyping using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. Anti-HBc was accompanied by antibodies to HBV surface antigen (anti-HBs) in 127 individuals. In anti-HBc-positive/anti-HBs-negative patients, HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) was shown in 15 patients and isolated anti-HBc were present in 28 patients. The distribution of MCP1 genotypes in anti-HBc-positive patients was compared to that in healthy subjects (n=437) and anti-HBc-negative HD patients (n=754). Results There were no significant differences (Ptrend >0.05) in distribution of MCP1 genotypes between anti-HBc-positive patients, anti-HBc-negative subjects, and controls, regardless of anti-HBs or diabetic status. The MCP1-2518G allele prevalence was higher in HBsAg-positive/anti-HBs-negative patients defined as HBV carriers compared to MCP1-2518G allele frequency shown in groups composed of HBsAg-negative HD individuals and controls (50% vs. 28%, Ptrend 0.022). Conclusions A frequency distribution of MCP1 polymorphic variants is not associated with anti-HBs development in response to HBV infection in HD patients, independent of diabetic status, but the MCP1-2518G allele may predispose to HBsAg persistence (HBV carrier status).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja E Grzegorzewska
- Chair and Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Diseases, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Dominik Pajzderski
- Chair and Department of Nephrology, Transplantology and Internal Diseases, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Anna Sowińska
- Chair and Department of Computer Science and Statistics, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Paweł P Jagodziński
- Chair and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Poznań University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
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Weber ND, Stone D, Sedlak RH, De Silva Feelixge HS, Roychoudhury P, Schiffer JT, Aubert M, Jerome KR. AAV-mediated delivery of zinc finger nucleases targeting hepatitis B virus inhibits active replication. PLoS One 2014. [PMID: 24827459 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.009757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite an existing effective vaccine, hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major public health concern. There are effective suppressive therapies for HBV, but they remain expensive and inaccessible to many, and not all patients respond well. Furthermore, HBV can persist as genomic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) that remains in hepatocytes even during otherwise effective therapy and facilitates rebound in patients after treatment has stopped. Therefore, the need for an effective treatment that targets active and persistent HBV infections remains. As a novel approach to treat HBV, we have targeted the HBV genome for disruption to prevent viral reactivation and replication. We generated 3 zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) that target sequences within the HBV polymerase, core and X genes. Upon the formation of ZFN-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSB), imprecise repair by non-homologous end joining leads to mutations that inactivate HBV genes. We delivered HBV-specific ZFNs using self-complementary adeno-associated virus (scAAV) vectors and tested their anti-HBV activity in HepAD38 cells. HBV-ZFNs efficiently disrupted HBV target sites by inducing site-specific mutations. Cytotoxicity was seen with one of the ZFNs. scAAV-mediated delivery of a ZFN targeting HBV polymerase resulted in complete inhibition of HBV DNA replication and production of infectious HBV virions in HepAD38 cells. This effect was sustained for at least 2 weeks following only a single treatment. Furthermore, high specificity was observed for all ZFNs, as negligible off-target cleavage was seen via high-throughput sequencing of 7 closely matched potential off-target sites. These results show that HBV-targeted ZFNs can efficiently inhibit active HBV replication and suppress the cellular template for HBV persistence, making them promising candidates for eradication therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D Weber
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America; Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Daniel Stone
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ruth Hall Sedlak
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Harshana S De Silva Feelixge
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Pavitra Roychoudhury
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Joshua T Schiffer
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America; Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America; Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Martine Aubert
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Keith R Jerome
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America; Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America; Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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Weber ND, Stone D, Sedlak RH, De Silva Feelixge HS, Roychoudhury P, Schiffer JT, Aubert M, Jerome KR. AAV-mediated delivery of zinc finger nucleases targeting hepatitis B virus inhibits active replication. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97579. [PMID: 24827459 PMCID: PMC4020843 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2014] [Accepted: 04/21/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite an existing effective vaccine, hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major public health concern. There are effective suppressive therapies for HBV, but they remain expensive and inaccessible to many, and not all patients respond well. Furthermore, HBV can persist as genomic covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) that remains in hepatocytes even during otherwise effective therapy and facilitates rebound in patients after treatment has stopped. Therefore, the need for an effective treatment that targets active and persistent HBV infections remains. As a novel approach to treat HBV, we have targeted the HBV genome for disruption to prevent viral reactivation and replication. We generated 3 zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) that target sequences within the HBV polymerase, core and X genes. Upon the formation of ZFN-induced DNA double strand breaks (DSB), imprecise repair by non-homologous end joining leads to mutations that inactivate HBV genes. We delivered HBV-specific ZFNs using self-complementary adeno-associated virus (scAAV) vectors and tested their anti-HBV activity in HepAD38 cells. HBV-ZFNs efficiently disrupted HBV target sites by inducing site-specific mutations. Cytotoxicity was seen with one of the ZFNs. scAAV-mediated delivery of a ZFN targeting HBV polymerase resulted in complete inhibition of HBV DNA replication and production of infectious HBV virions in HepAD38 cells. This effect was sustained for at least 2 weeks following only a single treatment. Furthermore, high specificity was observed for all ZFNs, as negligible off-target cleavage was seen via high-throughput sequencing of 7 closely matched potential off-target sites. These results show that HBV-targeted ZFNs can efficiently inhibit active HBV replication and suppress the cellular template for HBV persistence, making them promising candidates for eradication therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D. Weber
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Daniel Stone
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Ruth Hall Sedlak
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Harshana S. De Silva Feelixge
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Pavitra Roychoudhury
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Joshua T. Schiffer
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Martine Aubert
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Keith R. Jerome
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Weber ND, Stone D, Jerome KR. TALENs targeting HBV: designer endonuclease therapies for viral infections. Mol Ther 2014; 21:1819-20. [PMID: 24081123 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2013.208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas D Weber
- 1] Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA [2] Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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In vitro Inactivation of Latent HSV by Targeted Mutagenesis Using an HSV-specific Homing Endonuclease. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2014; 3:e146. [PMID: 24496438 PMCID: PMC3951911 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2013.75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 12/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Following acute infection, herpes simplex virus (HSV) establishes latency in sensory neurons, from which it can reactivate and cause recurrent disease. Available antiviral therapies do not affect latent viral genomes; therefore, they do not prevent reactivation following therapy cessation. One possible curative approach involves the introduction of DNA double strand breaks in latent HSV genomes by rare-cutting endonucleases, leading to mutagenesis of essential viral genes. We tested this approach in an in vitro HSV latency model using the engineered homing endonuclease (HE) HSV1m5, which recognizes a sequence in the HSV-1 gene UL19, encoding the virion protein VP5. Coexpression of the 3'-exonuclease Trex2 with HEs increased HE-mediated mutagenesis frequencies up to sixfold. Following HSV1m5/Trex2 delivery with adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors, the target site was mutated in latent HSV genomes with no detectable cell toxicity. Importantly, HSV production by latently infected cells after reactivation was decreased after HSV1m5/Trex2 exposure. Exposure to histone deacetylase inhibitors prior to HSV1m5/Trex2 treatment increased mutagenesis frequencies of latent HSV genomes another two- to fivefold, suggesting that chromatin modification may be a useful adjunct to gene-targeting approaches. These results support the continuing development of HEs and other nucleases (ZFNs, TALENs, CRISPRs) for cure of chronic viral infections.Molecular Therapy-Nucleic Acids (2014) 3, e1; doi:10.1038/mtna.2013.75; published online 4 February 2014.
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40
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Chen J, Zhang W, Lin J, Wang F, Wu M, Chen C, Zheng Y, Peng X, Li J, Yuan Z. An efficient antiviral strategy for targeting hepatitis B virus genome using transcription activator-like effector nucleases. Mol Ther 2013; 22:303-311. [PMID: 24025750 DOI: 10.1038/mt.2013.212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/26/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a DNA virus that can cause chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in humans. Current therapies for CHB infection are limited in efficacy and do not target the pre-existing viral genomic DNA, which are present in the nucleus as a covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) form. The transcription activator-like (TAL) effector nucleases (TALENs) are newly developed enzymes that can cleave sequence-specific DNA targets. Here, TALENs targeting the conserved regions of the viral genomic DNA among different HBV genotypes were constructed. The expression of TALENs in Huh7 cells transfected with monomeric linear full-length HBV DNA significantly reduced the viral production of HBeAg, HBsAg, HBcAg, and pgRNA, resulted in a decreased cccDNA level and misrepaired cccDNAs without apparent cytotoxic effects. The anti-HBV effect of TALENs was further demonstrated in a hydrodynamic injection-based mouse model. In addition, an enhanced antiviral effect with combinations of TALENs and interferon-α (IFN-α) treatment was observed and expression of TALENs restored HBV suppressed IFN-stimulated response element-directed transcription. Taken together, these data indicate that TALENs can specifically target and successfully inactivate the HBV genome and are potently synergistic with IFN-α, thus providing a potential therapeutic strategy for treating CHB infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieliang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junyu Lin
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Fan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Wu
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Cuncun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Institutes of Medical Microbiology and Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ye Zheng
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiuhua Peng
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhenghong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Institutes of Medical Microbiology and Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
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