Short Communication
Characterization of the antiviral effects of REP 2139 on the HBV lifecycle in vitro
Author links open overlay panelRichardBoulona1MatthieuBlanchetab1MatthieuLemassoncAndrewVaillantb
PatrickLabontéa
a
INRS–Institut Armand Frappier, Laval, Canada, H7V 1B7
b
Replicor Inc. Montréal, Canada, H4P 2R2
c
Institut National de La Transfusion Sanguine, CNRS-INSERM U1134, Paris, France, 75739
REP 2139 selectively inhibits HBsAg secretion over HBeAg.
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REP 2139 does not inhibit HBV transcription or translation.
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Secretion of infectious Dane particles is not inhibited by REP 2139
Abstract
During hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, HBV subviral particles (SVP) are produced in large excess in comparison to infectious virions and account for the major source of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) in the blood. This abundant circulating HBsAg has been postulated to promote HBV chronicity by inducing immune exhaustion against HBsAg. Nucleic acid polymers (NAPs) such as REP 2139 display promising antiviral activity against both HBV and hepatitis Delta virus (HDV) in clinical trials. REP 2139 is accompanied by clearance of HBsAg from blood with concomitant reappearance of anti-HBsAg antibodies. To decipher the mechanism-of-action of NAPs, a recently developed cell-based assay in human HepG2.2.15 cells was used (Blanchet et al., 2019). This assay recapitulates the HBsAg secretion inhibition observed in treated patients. In the present study, we analysed the antiviral effect of REP 2139 on the HBV lifecycle. Importantly, we confirm here the potent inhibitory activity of the compound on HBsAg secretion, and report minor or no effect on other viral markers such as intracellular DNA and RNA, and HBeAg or Dane particle secretion. Notably, intracellular HBsAg accumulation is prevented by proteasomal and lysosomal degradation.
Keywords
Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
Nucleic acid polymers (NAP)
Antiviral
HBsAg
Dane particles
subviral particle (SVP)
Abbreviations
HBVhepatitis B virus
SVPHBV subviral particles
NAPnucleic acid polymers
HBsAghepatitis B surface antigen
HDVhepatitis Delta virus
DHBsAgDuck hepatitis B surface antigen
BAFBafilomycin
1
Both authors have contributed equally to the work.作者: StephenW 时间: 2020-7-5 14:59