title: Inhibition of multiple subtypes of influenza A virus in cell cultures with morpholino oligomers.
abstract: Peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (P-PMO) are single-stranded nucleic acid-like antisense agents that can reduce gene expression by sterically blocking complementary RNA sequence. P-PMO are water soluble and nuclease resistant, and they readily achieve uptake into cells in culture under standard conditions. Eight P-PMO, each 20 to 22 bases in length, were evaluated for their ability to inhibit influenza A virus (FLUAV) A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) replication in cell culture. The P-PMO were designed to base pair with FLUAV RNA sequences that are highly conserved across viral subtypes and considered critical to the FLUAV biological-cycle, such as gene segment termini and mRNA translation start site regions. Several P-PMO were highly efficacious, each reducing viral titer in a dose-responsive and sequence-specific manner in A/PR/8/34-infected cells. Two P-PMO, one designed to target the AUG translation start site region of PB1 mRNA and the other the 3'-terminal region of nucleoprotein viral genome RNA, also proved to be potent against several other FLUAV strains, including A/WSN/33 (H1N1), A/Memphis/8/88 (H3N2), A/Eq/Miami/63 (H3N8), A/Eq/Prague/56 (H7N7), and the highly pathogenic A/Thailand/1(KAN-1)/04 (H5N1). The P-PMO exhibited minimal cytotoxicity in cell viability assays. High efficacy by two of the P-PMO against multiple FLUAV subtypes suggests that these oligomers represent a broad-spectrum therapeutic approach against a high percentage of known FLUAV strains.
authors.affiliation: AVI BioPharma Inc., 4575 SW Research Way, Corvallis, OR 97333, USA.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.forename: Manoj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pastey
authors.forename: Darwyn
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kobasa
authors.forename: Piliapan
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puthavathana
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lupfer
authors.forename: Richard K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Bestwick
authors.forename: Patrick L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: Jianzhu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003588:Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015195:Drug Design; D006386:Hemagglutination Tests; D006801:Humans; D009980:Influenza A virus / Q000187:drug effects*; D009025:Morpholines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000187:drug effects; D014709:Vero Cells; D010948:Viral Plaque Assay
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D009025:Morpholines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012367:RNA, Viral