Inhibition of replication of hepatitis B virus using transcriptional repressors that target the viral DNA.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a serious global health problem. Persistence of the virus occurs as a result of stability of the replication intermediate comprising covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA). Development of drugs that are capable of disabling this cccDNA is vital.

Methods

To investigate an epigenetic approach to inactivating viral DNA, we engineered transcriptional repressors that comprise an HBV DNA-binding domain of transcription activator like effectors (TALEs) and a fused Krüppel Associated Box (KRAB). These repressor TALEs (rTALEs) targeted the viral surface open reading frame and were placed under transcription control of constitutively active or liver-specific promoters.

Results

Evaluation in cultured cells and followi

SUBMITTER: Bloom K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6739920 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature