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Virus-like Vesicles Expressing Multiple Antigens for Immunotherapy of Chronic Hepatitis B.

ABSTRACT: Infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) can initiate chronic hepatitis and liver injury, causing more than 600,000 deaths each year worldwide. Current treatments for chronic hepatitis B are inadequate and leave an unmet need for immunotherapeutic approaches. We designed virus-like vesicles (VLV) as self-amplifying RNA replicons expressing three HBV antigens (polymerase, core, and middle surface) from a single vector (HBV-VLV) to break immune exhaustion despite persistent HBV replication. The HBV-VLV induces HBV-specific T cells in naive mice and renders them resistant to acute challenge with HBV. Using a chronic model of HBV infection, we demonstrate efficacy of HBV-VLV priming in combination with DNA booster immunization, as 40% of treated mice showed a decline of serum HBV surface antigen below the detection limit and marked reduction in liver HBV RNA accompanied by induction of HBsAg-specific CD8 T cells. These results warrant further evaluation of HBV-VLV for immunotherapy of chronic hepatitis B.

SUBMITTER: Yarovinsky TO

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6889364 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Virus-like Vesicles Expressing Multiple Antigens for Immunotherapy of Chronic Hepatitis B.

Yarovinsky Timur O TO Mason Stephen W SW Menon Manisha M Krady Marie M MM Haslip Maria M Madina Bhaskara R BR Ma Xianyong X Moshkani Safiehkhatoon S Chiale Carolina C Pal Anasuya Chattopadhyay AC Almassian Bijan B Rose John K JK Robek Michael D MD Nakaar Valerian V

iScience 20191024

Infections with hepatitis B virus (HBV) can initiate chronic hepatitis and liver injury, causing more than 600,000 deaths each year worldwide. Current treatments for chronic hepatitis B are inadequate and leave an unmet need for immunotherapeutic approaches. We designed virus-like vesicles (VLV) as self-amplifying RNA replicons expressing three HBV antigens (polymerase, core, and middle surface) from a single vector (HBV-VLV) to break immune exhaustion despite persistent HBV replication. The HBV ...[more]

PMID: 31704650

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Project description:UnlabelledWe previously reported a proof-of-concept study for curing chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection using a foreign-antigen recombinant HBV (rHBV) as a gene therapy vector. Targeted elimination of wild-type HBV (wtHBV)-infected cells could be achieved by functionally activating an in situ T-cell response against the foreign antigen. However, as chronic HBV infection spreads to all hepatocytes, specific targeting of virus-infected cells is thought to be less critical. It is also feared that rHBV may not induce active immunization in a setting resembling natural infection. For this immunotherapeutic approach to be practically viable, in the present study, we used a recombinant adenovirus (rAd) vector for rHBV delivery. The rAd vector allowed efficient transduction of wtHBV-producing HepG2 cells, with transferred rHBV undergoing dominant viral replication. Progeny rHBV virions proved to be infectious, as demonstrated in primary tupaia hepatocytes. These results greatly expanded the antiviral capacity of the replication-defective rAd/rHBV in wtHBV-infected liver tissue. With prior priming in the periphery, transduction with rAd/rHBV attracted a substantial influx of the foreign-antigen-specific T-effector cells into the liver. Despite the fully activated T-cell response, active expression of rHBV was observed for a prolonged time, which is essential for rHBV to achieve sustained expansion. In a mouse model of HBV persistence established by infection with a recombinant adeno-associated virus carrying the wtHBV genome, rAd/rHBV-based immunotherapy elicited a foreign-antigen-specific T-cell response that triggered effective viral clearance and subsequent seroconversion to HBV. It therefore represents an efficient strategy to overcome immune tolerance, thereby eliminating chronic HBV infection.ImportanceAdenovirus-delivered rHBV activated a foreign-antigen-specific T-cell response that abrogated HBV persistence in a mouse model. Our study provides further evidence of the potential of foreign-antigen-based immunotherapy for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.

Project description:AimTo construct a tricistronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) replicon with double internal ribosome entry sites (IRESes) of only 22 nucleotides for each, substituting the encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) IRESes, which are most often used as the translation initiation element to form HCV replicons.MethodsThe alternative 22-nucleotide IRES, RNA-binding motif protein 3 IRES (Rbm3 IRES), was used to form a tricistronic HCV replicon, to facilitate constructing HCV-harboring stable cell lines and successive antiviral screening using a luciferase marker. Briefly, two sequential Rbm3 IRESes were inserted into bicistronic pUC19-HCV plasmid, consequently forming a tricistronic HCV replicon (pHCV-rep-NeoR-hRluc), initiating the translation of humanized Renilla luciferase and HCV non-structural gene, along with HCV authentic IRES initiating the translation of neomycin resistance gene. The sH7 cell lines, in which the novel replicon RNA stably replicated, were constructed by neomycin and luciferase activity screening. The intracellular HCV replicon RNA, expression of inserted foreign genes and HCV non-structural gene, as well as response to anti-HCV agents, were measured in sH7 cells and cells transiently transfected with tricistronic replicon RNA.ResultsThe intracellular HCV replicon RNA and expression of inserted foreign genes and HCV non-structural gene in sH7 cells and cells transiently transfected with tricistronic replicon RNA were comparable to those in cells stably or transiently transfected with traditional bicistronic HCV replicons. The average relative light unit in pHCV-rep-NeoR-hRluc group was approximately 2-fold of those in the pUC19-HCV-hRLuc and Tri-JFH1 groups (1.049 × 10(8) ± 2.747 × 10(7) vs 5.368 × 10(7) ± 1.016 × 10(7), P < 0.05; 1.049 × 10(8) ± 2.747 × 10(7) vs 5.243 × 10(7) ± 1.194 × 10(7), P < 0.05), suggesting that the translation initiation efficiency of the first Rbm3 IRES in the two sequential IRESes was stronger than the HCV authentic IRES and EMCV IRES. The fold changes of 72 h/4 h relative light units in the pHCV-rep-NeoR-hRluc and pUC19-HCV-hRLuc groups were similar (159.619 ± 9.083 vs 163.536 ± 24.031, P = 0.7707), and were both higher than the fold change in the Tri-JFH1 group 159.619± 9.083 vs 140.811 ± 9.882, P < 0.05; 163.536 ± 24.031 vs 140.811 ± 9.882, P < 0.05), suggesting that the replication potency of the Rbm3 IRES tricistronic replicon matched the replication of bicistronic replicon and exceeded the potency of EMCV IRES replicon. Replication of tricistronic replicons was suppressed by ribavirin, simvastatin, atorvastatin, telaprevir and boceprevir. Interferon-alpha 2b could not block replication of the novel replicon RNA in sH7 cells. After interferon stimulation, MxA mRNA and protein levels were lower in sH7 than in parental cells.ConclusionTricistronic HCV replicon with double Rbm3 IRESes could be applied to evaluate the replication inhibition efficacy of anti-HCV agents.

Dataset Information

Virus-like Vesicles Expressing Multiple Antigens for Immunotherapy of Chronic Hepatitis B.

Publications

Virus-like Vesicles Expressing Multiple Antigens for Immunotherapy of Chronic Hepatitis B.

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