title: Rapid identification of small interfering RNA that can effectively inhibit the replication of multiple influenza B virus strains.
abstract: Influenza B virus is a cause of substantial morbidity and mortality in humans and current vaccination strategies and antiviral drugs only provide limited protection. Here, we report the evaluation of small interfering RNA (siRNA) for repression of viral replication in cultured cells as well as in chicken embryos. Several siRNAs targeting conserved regions of the virus (in chemically synthesized or plasmid-encoded forms) were found to effectively block the replication of the influenza B virus. The siRNAs were found to offer broad protection over several strains of influenza B virus (B/Beijing/76/98, B/Beijing/37/99 and B/Jiangsu/10/03) that differ substantially in their genetic content. The antiviral effects of 500 ng siRNA-encoding plasmids or 60 nmoles synthetic siRNA were found to be comparable to that of 3.6 microg ribavirin. These results indicated that RNA interference warrants further study for management of influenza B virus infections.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Molecular Virology and Genetic Engineering, Beijing 100176, China.
authors.forename: Yongzhen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Xingye
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yuelong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Meihong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Zicai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002642:Chick Embryo; D006801:Humans; D009981:Influenza B virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012367:RNA, Viral; D014764:Viral Proteins