Long-term suppression of hepatitis B virus replication by short hairpin RNA expression using the scaffold/matrix attachment region-based replicating vector system pEPI-1.

ABSTRACT: Since the emergence of viral resistance of hepatitis B virus (HBV) during treatment is becoming an important issue even with newer drugs, there is a need for alternative treatment options such as, for example, RNA interference (RNAi) technology. While short-term suppression of HBV replication is easily achieved with small interfering RNA oligonucleotides, this is not the case for long-term suppression due to the lack of an optimal vector system. Based on the nonviral scaffold/matrix attachment region (S/MAR)-based vector system pEPI-1, which is free of common side effects and is stably retained as an episome even in the absence of selection, we designed a short hairpin RNA (shRNA) expression vector called pEPI-RNAi for HBV suppression. HBV-replicating HepG2.2.15 cells were transfected with

SUBMITTER: Jenke AC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2443918 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature