CRISPR/Cas9 nickase-mediated disruption of hepatitis B virus open reading frame S and X.

ABSTRACT: Current antiviral therapies cannot cure hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection; successful HBV eradication would require inactivation of the viral genome, which primarily persists in host cells as episomal covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) and, to a lesser extent, as chromosomally integrated sequences. However, novel designer enzymes, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 RNA-guided nuclease system, provide technologies for developing advanced therapy strategies that could directly attack the HBV genome. For therapeutic application in humans, such designer nucleases should recognize various HBV genotypes and cause minimal off-target effects. Here, we identified cross-genotype conserved HBV sequences in the S and X region of the HBV genome that were targeted for specific and effective cleavage by a Cas9

SUBMITTER: Karimova M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4558539 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature