CccDNA-Targeted Drug Screen Reveals a Class of Antihistamines as Suppressors of HBV Genome Levels.

ABSTRACT: Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is incurable, as the current therapeutics cannot eliminate its persistent genomic material, cccDNA. Screening systems for cccDNA-targeting therapeutics are unavailable, as low copies of cccDNA in vitro complicate detection. To address this, cccDNA copies were massively increased to levels detectable via automated plate readers. This was achieved via continuous infection in a contact-free co-culture of an HBV generator (clone F881), which stably produced clinically relevant amounts of HBV, and HBV acceptors selected to carry high cccDNA loads. cccDNA-targeted therapeutics were then identified via reduced cccDNA-specific fluorescence, taking differences in the cell numbers and viability into account. Amongst the drugs tested, the H₁ a

SUBMITTER: Ren EC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10604930 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature