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Choi YM, Kim DH, Jang J, Kim BJ. A hepatitis B virus-derived peptide combined with HBsAg exerts an anti-HBV effect in an HBV transgenic mouse model as a therapeutic vaccine. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1155637. [PMID: 37334373 PMCID: PMC10272379 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1155637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction For complete or functional cure of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, application of immunotherapy is now being attempted. Recently, we reported that a 6-mer hepatitis B virus (HBV)-derived peptide, Poly6, exerts a strong anticancer effect in tumor-implanted mice through inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-producing DCs (Tip-DCs) in a type 1 interferon (IFN-I)-dependent manner, suggesting its potential as a vaccine adjuvant. Methods In this study, we explored the potential of Poly6 in combination with HBsAg as a therapeutic vaccine against hepatitis B virus infection. We investigated the immunotherapeutic potential of Poly6 combined with HBsAg vaccination against hepatitis B virus infection in C57BL/6 mice or an HBV transgenic mouse model. Results In C57BL/6 mice, Poly6 enhanced DC maturation and DC migration capacity in an IFN-I-dependent manner. Moreover, the addition of Poly6 to alum in combination with HBsAg also led to enhanced HBsAg-specific cell-mediated immune (CMI) responses, suggesting its potential as an adjuvant of HBsAg-based vaccines. In HBV transgenic mice, vaccination with Poly6 combined with HBsAg exerted a strong anti-HBV effect via induction of HBV-specific humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. In addition, it also induced HBV-specific effector memory T cells (TEM). Discussion Our data indicated that vaccination with Poly6 in combination with HBsAg exerts an anti-HBV effect in HBV transgenic mice, which is mainly mediated by HBV-specific CMI and humoral immune responses via IFN-I-dependent DC activation, suggesting the feasibility of Poly6 as an adjuvant for an HBV therapeutic vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Min Choi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Hyun Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghwa Jang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bum-Joon Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Liver Research Institute, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Seoul National University Medical Research Center (SNUMRC), Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Monroe MK, Wang H, Anderson CF, Jia H, Flexner C, Cui H. Leveraging the therapeutic, biological, and self-assembling potential of peptides for the treatment of viral infections. J Control Release 2022; 348:1028-1049. [PMID: 35752254 PMCID: PMC11022941 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2022.06.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Peptides and peptide-based materials have an increasing role in the treatment of viral infections through their use as active pharmaceutical ingredients, targeting moieties, excipients, carriers, or structural components in drug delivery systems. The discovery of peptide-based therapeutic compounds, coupled with the development of new stabilization and formulation strategies, has led to a resurgence of antiviral peptide therapeutics over the past two decades. The ability of peptides to bind cell receptors and to facilitate membrane penetration and subsequent intracellular trafficking enables their use in various antiviral systems for improved targeting efficiency and treatment efficacy. Importantly, the self-assembly of peptides into well-defined nanostructures provides a vast library of discrete constructs and supramolecular biomaterials for systemic and local delivery of antiviral agents. We review here the recent progress in exploiting the therapeutic, biological, and self-assembling potential of peptides, peptide conjugates, and their supramolecular assemblies in treating human viral infections, with an emphasis on the treatment strategies for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya K Monroe
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America
| | - Han Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America
| | - Caleb F Anderson
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America
| | - Hongpeng Jia
- Department of Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, United States of America
| | - Charles Flexner
- Divisions of Clinical Pharmacology and Infectious Diseases, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States of America.
| | - Honggang Cui
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218, United States of America; Deptartment of Oncology and Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, United States of America; Center for Nanomedicine, The Wilmer Eye Institute, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 400 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231, United States of America.
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Choi YM, Jeong H, Park U, Cho NH, Kim BJ. A Hepatitis B Virus-Derived Peptide Can Inhibit Infection of Human Lung Cells with SARS-CoV-2 in a Type-1 Interferon-Dependent Manner. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071227. [PMID: 34202029 PMCID: PMC8310041 DOI: 10.3390/v13071227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need to develop effective therapeutic strategies. We evaluated the in vitro antiviral effect against SARS-CoV-2 of a hepatitis B virus (HBV) hexamer peptide, Poly6, which is capable of eliciting an antiviral effect against human immunodeficiency virus -1 (HIV-1), as a novel HIV-1 integrase inhibitor, and a strong anticancer immune response in an IFN-I-dependent manner, as a novel potential adjuvant in anticancer immunotherapy. Here, we report that Poly6 exerts an anti-SARS-CoV-2 effect, with an estimated 50% inhibitory concentration of 2.617 µM, in the human bronchial epithelial cell line, Calu-3 but not in Vero-E6 cells, which are deficient in type 1 interferon (IFN-I) signaling. We proved via assays based on mRNA profiles, inhibitors, or blocking antibodies that Poly6 can exert an anti-SARS-CoV-2 effect in an IFN-I-dependent manner. We also found that Poly6 inhibits IL-6 production enhanced by SARS-CoV-2 in infected Calu-3 cells at both the transcription and the translation levels, mediated via IL-10 induction in an IFN-I-dependent manner. These results indicate the feasibility of Poly6 as an IFN-I-inducing COVID-19 drug with potent antiviral and anti-inflammatory activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Min Choi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110799, Korea; (Y.-M.C.); (H.J.); (U.P.); (N.-H.C.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Hyein Jeong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110799, Korea; (Y.-M.C.); (H.J.); (U.P.); (N.-H.C.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Uni Park
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110799, Korea; (Y.-M.C.); (H.J.); (U.P.); (N.-H.C.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Nam-Hyuk Cho
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110799, Korea; (Y.-M.C.); (H.J.); (U.P.); (N.-H.C.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
| | - Bum-Joon Kim
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 110799, Korea; (Y.-M.C.); (H.J.); (U.P.); (N.-H.C.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Liver Research Institute, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Cancer Research Institute, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
- Seoul National University Medical Research Center (SNUMRC), Seoul 03080, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-2-740-8315; Fax: +82-2-743-0881
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A Hepatitis B Virus-Derived Peptide Exerts an Anticancer Effect via TNF/iNOS-producing Dendritic Cells in Tumor-Bearing Mouse Model. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13030407. [PMID: 33499256 PMCID: PMC7865762 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13030407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Recently, we reported a 6-mer hepatitis B virus (HBV)-derived peptide, Poly6, that exerts antiviral effects against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Here, we explored the immunotherapeutic potential of Poly6 via its administration into dendritic cells (DCs) in a mouse model. Our data revealed that Poly6 treatment led to enhanced production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-producing DCs (Tip-DCs) in a type 1 interferon (IFN-I)-dependent manner via the induction of mitochondrial stress. Poly6 treatment in mice implanted with MC38 cells, a murine colon adenocarcinoma line, led to attenuated tumor formation, primarily due to direct cell death induced by Tip-DC mediated nitric oxide (NO) production and indirect killing by Tip-DC mediated cluster of differentiation 8 (CD8) cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activation via CD40 activation. Moreover, Poly6 treatment demonstrated an enhanced anticancer effect with one of the checkpoint inhibitors, the anti PD-L1 antibody. In conclusion, our data reveal that Poly6 treatment elicits an antitumor immune response in mice, possibly through NO-mediated oncolytic activity via Tip-DC activation and Tip-DC mediated CTL activation. This suggests that Poly6 represents a potential adjuvant for cancer immunotherapy by enhancing the anticancer effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors.
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Loboda AP, Soond SM, Piacentini M, Barlev NA. Lysine-specific post-translational modifications of proteins in the life cycle of viruses. Cell Cycle 2019; 18:1995-2005. [PMID: 31291816 DOI: 10.1080/15384101.2019.1639305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The process of protein post-translational modifications (PTM) is one of the critical mechanisms of regulation of many cellular processes, which makes it an attractive target for various viruses. Since viruses cannot replicate on their own, they have developed unique abilities to alter metabolic and signaling cell pathways, including protein PTMs, to ensure faithful replication of their genomes. This review describes several ways of how lysine-specific PTMs are used by various viruses to ensure its successful invasion and replication. Covalent modifications like acetylation, ubiquitination, and methylation form a complex system of reversible and often competing modifications, which adds an additional level of complexity to the system of regulation of the activity of host proteins involved in viral replication and propagation. In furthering these, we also describe the manner in which PTM pathways can also be accosted by various types of viruses to neutralize the host's cellular mechanisms for anti-viral protection and highlight key areas for future therapeutic targeting and design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna P Loboda
- a Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology , Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region , Russian Federation
| | - Surinder M Soond
- b Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University , Moscow , Russian Federation
| | - Mauro Piacentini
- c Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Science , St-Petersburg , Russian Federation
| | - Nickolai A Barlev
- a Laboratory of Intracellular Signaling, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology , Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region , Russian Federation.,c Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Cytology of the Russian Academy of Science , St-Petersburg , Russian Federation
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