Adenovirus-based gene therapy during clevudine treatment of woodchucks chronically infected with woodchuck hepatitis virus.
Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) is a potent suppressor of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication in the HBV-transgenic mouse, depleting virus replication intermediates from infected hepatocytes via pathways mediated by interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). It has also been hypothesized that cytokines induce curing of infected hepatocytes via non-cytolytic pathways during resolution of transient hepadnavirus infections. We have therefore evaluated therapy of chronic woodchuck hepatitis virus (WHV) infections using treatment with the nucleoside analog clevudine [L-FMAU; 1-(2-fluoro-5-methyl-b-L-arabinofuranosyl) uracil] and therapy with adenovirus vectors expressing INF-gamma, TNF-alpha, and beta-galactosidase. Before their use in vivo, expression of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha from the adenovirus vectors was evaluated in vitro. Conditioned media from adenovirus-infected WC-3 cells was shown to inhibit WHV replication in baculovirus-transduced cells. Adenovirus super-infection of the liver in woodchucks led to declines in the percentage of hepatocytes with detectable core antigen and nucleic acids, and in levels of covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and total WHV DNA, but a major long-term benefit of adenovirus super-infection during clevudine treatment was not demonstrated. Moreover, the effect took at least 2 weeks to develop suggesting that the declines in the percentage of WHV-infected cells, ccc, and total WHV DNA resulted from induction of the adaptive immune response by the adenovirus super-infection, and only indirectly from the expression of cytokines by the vectors.
Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA 19111, USA.
Yuao
Y
Zhu
John M
JM
Cullen
Carol E
CE
Aldrich
Jeffry
J
Saputelli
Darren
D
Miller
Christoph
C
Seeger
William S
WS
Mason
Allison R
AR
Jilbert
D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001086:Arabinofuranosyluracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016367:Baculoviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D017919:Hepatitis B Virus, Woodchuck / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008392:Marmota; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D001086:Arabinofuranosyluracil; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; C034935:clevudine