title: Application of CRISPR/Cas9 Technology to HBV.
abstract: More than 240 million people around the world are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV). Nucleos(t)ide analogs and interferon are the only two families of drugs to treat HBV currently. However, none of these anti-virals directly target the stable nuclear covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which acts as a transcription template for viral mRNA and pre-genomic RNA synthesis and secures virus persistence. Thus, the fact that only a small number of patients treated achieve sustained viral response (SVR) or cure, highlights the need for new therapies against HBV. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 gene editing system can specifically target the conserved regions of the HBV genome. This results in robust viral suppression and provides a promising tool for eradicating the virus. In this review, we discuss the function and application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system as a novel therapy for HBV.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730, China. linguigao1982@163.com.
authors.forename: Guigao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730, China. sarahkuo@163.com.
authors.forename: Kuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: National Center for Clinical Laboratories, Beijing Hospital, Beijing 100730, China. jmli@nccl.org.cn.
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D064113:CRISPR-Cas Systems / Q000502:physiology*; D004270:DNA, Circular; D004279:DNA, Viral; D018390:Gene Targeting; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology*; D006515:Hepatitis B virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017393:RNA Editing; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004270:DNA, Circular; D004279:DNA, Viral
keywords: CRISPR/Cas9; HBV; antiviral; cccDNA