title: Antisense therapy of hepatitis B virus infection.
abstract: Chronic infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major health problem worldwide. The only established therapy is interferon-a with an efficacy of only 30-40% in highly selected patients. The discovery of animal viruses closely related to the HBV has contributed to active research on antiviral therapy of chronic hepatitis B. The animal model tested and described in this article are Peking ducks infected with the duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV). Molecular therapeutic strategies aimed at blocking gene expression include antisense DNA. An antisense oligodeoxynucleotide directed against the 5'-region of the preS gene of DHBV inhibited viral replication and gene expression in vitro in primary duck hepatocytes and in vivo in Peking ducks. These results demonstrate the potential clinical use of antisense DNA as antiviral therapeutics.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital, Hugskelter, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Offensperger
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Offensperger
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Blum
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004261:DNA Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004372:Ducks; D015967:Gene Expression Regulation, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D018347:Hepadnaviridae Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015611:Hepatitis B Virus, Duck / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D006524:Hepatitis, Viral, Animal / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000821:virology; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense