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Gribling-Burrer AS, Bohn P, Smyth RP. Isoform-specific RNA structure determination using Nano-DMS-MaP. Nat Protoc 2024; 19:1835-1865. [PMID: 38347203 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-00959-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
RNA structure determination is essential to understand how RNA carries out its diverse biological functions. In cells, RNA isoforms are readily expressed with partial variations within their sequences due, for example, to alternative splicing, heterogeneity in the transcription start site, RNA processing or differential termination/polyadenylation. Nanopore dimethyl sulfate mutational profiling (Nano-DMS-MaP) is a method for in situ isoform-specific RNA structure determination. Unlike similar methods that rely on short sequencing reads, Nano-DMS-MaP employs nanopore sequencing to resolve the structures of long and highly similar RNA molecules to reveal their previously hidden structural differences. This Protocol describes the development and applications of Nano-DMS-MaP and outlines the main considerations for designing and implementing a successful experiment: from bench to data analysis. In cell probing experiments can be carried out by an experienced molecular biologist in 3-4 d. Data analysis requires good knowledge of command line tools and Python scripts and requires a further 3-5 d.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Sophie Gribling-Burrer
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Patrick Bohn
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Redmond P Smyth
- Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Würzburg, Germany.
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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2
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Allan MF, Aruda J, Plung JS, Grote SL, Martin des Taillades YJ, de Lajarte AA, Bathe M, Rouskin S. Discovery and Quantification of Long-Range RNA Base Pairs in Coronavirus Genomes with SEARCH-MaP and SEISMIC-RNA. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.29.591762. [PMID: 38746332 PMCID: PMC11092567 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.591762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
RNA molecules perform a diversity of essential functions for which their linear sequences must fold into higher-order structures. Techniques including crystallography and cryogenic electron microscopy have revealed 3D structures of ribosomal, transfer, and other well-structured RNAs; while chemical probing with sequencing facilitates secondary structure modeling of any RNAs of interest, even within cells. Ongoing efforts continue increasing the accuracy, resolution, and ability to distinguish coexisting alternative structures. However, no method can discover and quantify alternative structures with base pairs spanning arbitrarily long distances - an obstacle for studying viral, messenger, and long noncoding RNAs, which may form long-range base pairs. Here, we introduce the method of Structure Ensemble Ablation by Reverse Complement Hybridization with Mutational Profiling (SEARCH-MaP) and software for Structure Ensemble Inference by Sequencing, Mutation Identification, and Clustering of RNA (SEISMIC-RNA). We use SEARCH-MaP and SEISMIC-RNA to discover that the frameshift stimulating element of SARS coronavirus 2 base-pairs with another element 1 kilobase downstream in nearly half of RNA molecules, and that this structure competes with a pseudoknot that stimulates ribosomal frameshifting. Moreover, we identify long-range base pairs involving the frameshift stimulating element in other coronaviruses including SARS coronavirus 1 and transmissible gastroenteritis virus, and model the full genomic secondary structure of the latter. These findings suggest that long-range base pairs are common in coronaviruses and may regulate ribosomal frameshifting, which is essential for viral RNA synthesis. We anticipate that SEARCH-MaP will enable solving many RNA structure ensembles that have eluded characterization, thereby enhancing our general understanding of RNA structures and their functions. SEISMIC-RNA, software for analyzing mutational profiling data at any scale, could power future studies on RNA structure and is available on GitHub and the Python Package Index.
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Lim SA, Ho N, Chen S, Chung EJ. Natural Killer Cell‐Derived Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Anti‐Viral Nanomaterials. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2304186. [PMID: 38676697 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202304186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
In viral infections, natural killer (NK) cells exhibit anti-viral activity by inducing apoptosis in infected host cells and impeding viral replication through heightened cytokine release. Extracellular vesicles derived from NK cells (NK-EVs) also contain the membrane composition, homing capabilities, and cargo that enable anti-viral activity. These characteristics, and their biocompatibility and low immunogenicity, give NK-EVs the potential to be a viable therapeutic platform. This study characterizes the size, EV-specific protein expression, cell internalization, biocompatibility, and anti-viral miRNA cargo to evaluate the anti-viral properties of NK-EVs. After 48 h of NK-EV incubation in inflamed A549 lung epithelial cells, or conditions that mimic lung viral infections such as during COVID-19, cells treated with NK-EVs exhibit upregulated anti-viral miRNA cargo (miR-27a, miR-27b, miR-369-3p, miR-491-5p) compared to the non-treated controls and cells treated with control EVs derived from lung epithelial cells. Additionally, NK-EVs effectively reduce expression of viral RNA and pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-8) levels in SARS-CoV-2 infected Vero E6 kidney epithelial cells and in infected mice without causing tissue damage while significantly decreasing pro-inflammatory cytokine compared to non-treated controls. Herein, this work elucidates the potential of NK-EVs as safe, anti-viral nanomaterials, offering a promising alternative to conventional NK cell and anti-viral therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyoung A Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Nathan Ho
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Sophia Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Eun Ji Chung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Therapy, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Bridge Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
- Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience, 1002 Childs Way, MCB 377, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
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4
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Zhang X, Luo F, Zhang H, Guo H, Zhou J, Li T, Chen S, Song S, Shen M, Wu Y, Gao Y, Han X, Wang Y, Hu C, Zhao X, Guo H, Zhang D, Lu Y, Wang W, Wang K, Tang N, Jin T, Ding M, Luo S, Lin C, Lu T, Lu B, Tian Y, Yang C, Cheng G, Yang H, Jin A, Ji X, Gong R, Chiu S, Huang A. Prophylactic efficacy of an intranasal spray with 2 synergetic antibodies neutralizing Omicron. JCI Insight 2024; 9:e171034. [PMID: 38587080 PMCID: PMC11128199 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.171034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUNDAs Omicron is prompted to replicate in the upper airway, neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) delivered through inhalation might inhibit early-stage infection in the respiratory tract. Thus, elucidating the prophylactic efficacy of NAbs via nasal spray addresses an important clinical need.METHODSThe applicable potential of a nasal spray cocktail containing 2 NAbs was characterized by testing its neutralizing potency, synergetic neutralizing mechanism, emergency protective and therapeutic efficacy in a hamster model, and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) in human nasal cavity.RESULTSThe 2 NAbs displayed broad neutralizing efficacy against Omicron, and they could structurally compensate each other in blocking the Spike-ACE2 interaction. When administrated through the intranasal mucosal route, this cocktail demonstrated profound efficacy in the emergency prevention in hamsters challenged with authentic Omicron BA.1. The investigator-initiated trial in healthy volunteers confirmed the safety and the PK/PD of the NAb cocktail delivered via nasal spray. Nasal samples from the participants receiving 4 administrations over a course of 16 hours demonstrated potent neutralization against Omicron BA.5 in an ex vivo pseudovirus neutralization assay.CONCLUSIONThese results demonstrate that the NAb cocktail nasal spray provides a good basis for clinical prophylactic efficacy against Omicron infections.TRIAL REGISTRATIONwww.chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR2200066525.FUNDINGThe National Science and Technology Major Project (2017ZX10202203), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFA0507100), Guangzhou National Laboratory (SRPG22-015), Lingang Laboratory (LG202101-01-07), Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (YDZX20213100001556), and the Emergency Project from the Science & Technology Commission of Chongqing (cstc2021jscx-fyzxX0001).
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinghai Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Feiyang Luo
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, and
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Huajun Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hangtian Guo
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Viruses and Infectious Diseases, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Junhui Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Li
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, and
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shaohong Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shuyi Song
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, and
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Meiying Shen
- Department of Endocrine Breast Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Wu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Yan Gao
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaojian Han
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, and
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yingming Wang
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, and
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Hu
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, and
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | | | | | | | - Yuchi Lu
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Kai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ni Tang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tengchuan Jin
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | | | - Shuhui Luo
- Mindao Haoyue Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | - Cuicui Lin
- Mindao Haoyue Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | | | - Bingxia Lu
- Mindao Haoyue Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | - Yang Tian
- Mindao Haoyue Co., Ltd., Chongqing, China
| | | | | | - Haitao Yang
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies and School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Aishun Jin
- Department of Immunology, College of Basic Medicine, and
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Basic and Translational Research of Tumor Immunology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoyun Ji
- The State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Viruses and Infectious Diseases, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Institute of Artificial Intelligence Biomedicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Institute of Life Sciences, and
- Engineering Research Center of Protein and Peptide Medicine, Ministry of Education, Nanjing, China
| | - Rui Gong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Sandra Chiu
- Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Ailong Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Infectious Diseases (Ministry of Education), Institute for Viral Hepatitis, Department of Infectious Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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5
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Idris A, Shrivastava S, Supramaniam A, Ray RM, Shevchenko G, Acharya D, McMillan NAJ, Morris KV. Extracellular Vesicles Loaded with Long Antisense RNAs Repress Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection. Nucleic Acid Ther 2024. [PMID: 38530082 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2023.0078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Long antisense RNAs (asRNAs) have been observed to repress HIV and other virus expression in a manner that is refractory to viral evolution. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease, has a distinct ability to evolve resistance around antibody targeting, as was evident from the emergence of various SARS-CoV-2 spike antibody variants. Importantly, the effectiveness of current antivirals is waning due to the rapid emergence of new variants of concern, more recently the omicron variant. One means of avoiding the emergence of viral resistance is by using long asRNA to target SARS-CoV-2. Similar work has proven successful with HIV targeting by long asRNA. In this study, we describe a long asRNA targeting SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene and the ability to deliver this RNA in extracellular vesicles (EVs) to repress virus expression. The observations presented in this study suggest that EV-delivered asRNAs are one means to targeting SARS-CoV-2 infection, which is both effective and broadly applicable as a means to control viral expression in the absence of mutation. This is the first demonstration of the use of engineered EVs to deliver long asRNA payloads for antiviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Idris
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Brisbane, Australia
- Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Surya Shrivastava
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Aroon Supramaniam
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Roslyn M Ray
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Galina Shevchenko
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Dhruba Acharya
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nigel A J McMillan
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kevin V Morris
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, Australia
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6
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Gao S, Guan H, Bloomer H, Wich D, Song D, Khirallah J, Ye Z, Zhao Y, Chen M, Xu C, Liu L, Xu Q. Harnessing non-Watson-Crick's base pairing to enhance CRISPR effectors cleavage activities and enable gene editing in mammalian cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2308415120. [PMID: 38150477 PMCID: PMC10786293 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308415120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Genomic DNA of the cyanophage S-2L virus is composed of 2-aminoadenine (Z), thymine (T), guanine (G), and cytosine (C), forming the genetic alphabet ZTGC, which violates Watson-Crick base pairing rules. The Z-base has an extra amino group on the two position that allows the formation of a third hydrogen bond with thymine in DNA strands. Here, we explored and expanded applications of this non-Watson-Crick base pairing in protein expression and gene editing. Both ZTGC-DNA (Z-DNA) and ZUGC-RNA (Z-RNA) produced in vitro show detectable compatibility and can be decoded in mammalian cells, including Homo sapiens cells. Z-crRNA can guide CRISPR-effectors SpCas9 and LbCas12a to cleave specific DNA through non-Watson-Crick base pairing and boost cleavage activities compared to A-crRNA. Z-crRNA can also allow for efficient gene and base editing in human cells. Together, our results help pave the way for potential strategies for optimizing DNA or RNA payloads for gene editing therapeutics and give insights to understanding the natural Z-DNA genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuliang Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Huiwen Guan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Hanan Bloomer
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Douglas Wich
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Donghui Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Jennifer Khirallah
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Zhongfeng Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Yu Zhao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Mengting Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Chutian Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Lihan Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
| | - Qiaobing Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA02155
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7
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Moccia M, Pascucci B, Saviano M, Cerasa MT, Terzidis MA, Chatgilialoglu C, Masi A. Advances in Nucleic Acid Research: Exploring the Potential of Oligonucleotides for Therapeutic Applications and Biological Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:146. [PMID: 38203317 PMCID: PMC10778772 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent years, nucleic acids have emerged as powerful biomaterials, revolutionizing the field of biomedicine. This review explores the multifaceted applications of nucleic acids, focusing on their pivotal role in various biomedical applications. Nucleic acids, including deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA), possess unique properties such as molecular recognition ability, programmability, and ease of synthesis, making them versatile tools in biosensing and for gene regulation, drug delivery, and targeted therapy. Their compatibility with chemical modifications enhances their binding affinity and resistance to degradation, elevating their effectiveness in targeted applications. Additionally, nucleic acids have found utility as self-assembling building blocks, leading to the creation of nanostructures whose high order underpins their enhanced biological stability and affects the cellular uptake efficiency. Furthermore, this review delves into the significant role of oligonucleotides (ODNs) as indispensable tools for biological studies and biomarker discovery. ODNs, short sequences of nucleic acids, have been instrumental in unraveling complex biological mechanisms. They serve as probes for studying gene expression, protein interactions, and cellular pathways, providing invaluable insights into fundamental biological processes. By examining the synergistic interplay between nucleic acids as powerful biomaterials and ODNs as indispensable tools for biological studies and biomarkers, this review highlights the transformative impact of these molecules on biomedical research. Their versatile applications not only deepen our understanding of biological systems but also are the driving force for innovation in diagnostics and therapeutics, ultimately advancing the field of biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Moccia
- Istituto di Cristallografia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Strada Provinciale 35d, n. 9, 00010 Montelibretti, Italy; (M.M.); (B.P.)
| | - Barbara Pascucci
- Istituto di Cristallografia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Strada Provinciale 35d, n. 9, 00010 Montelibretti, Italy; (M.M.); (B.P.)
| | - Michele Saviano
- Istituto di Cristallografia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, URT Caserta, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy;
| | - Maria Teresa Cerasa
- Istituto di Cristallografia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Giovanni Amendola 122/O, 70126 Bari, Italy;
| | - Michael A. Terzidis
- Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Department of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Sindos Campus, International Hellenic University, 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Chryssostomos Chatgilialoglu
- Istituto per la Sintesi Organica e la Fotoreattività, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 40129 Bologna, Italy;
- Center of Advanced Technologies, Adam Mickiewicz University, 61-712 Poznań, Poland
| | - Annalisa Masi
- Istituto di Cristallografia, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Strada Provinciale 35d, n. 9, 00010 Montelibretti, Italy; (M.M.); (B.P.)
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8
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Dauksaite V, Tas A, Wachowius F, Spruit A, van Hemert MJ, Snijder EJ, van der Veer EP, van Zonneveld AJ. Highly Potent Antisense Oligonucleotides Locked Nucleic Acid Gapmers Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA Genome. Nucleic Acid Ther 2023; 33:381-385. [PMID: 37782140 DOI: 10.1089/nat.2023.0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the current worldwide pandemic and the associated coronavirus disease 2019 with potentially lethal outcome. Although effective vaccines strongly contributed to reduce disease severity, establishing a toolbox to control current and newly emerging coronaviruses of epidemic concern requires the development of novel therapeutic compounds, to treat severely infected individuals and to prevent virus transmission. Here we present a therapeutic strategy targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA genome using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). We demonstrate that selected locked nucleic acid gapmers have the potency to reduce the in vitro intracellular viral load by up to 96%. Our promising results strongly support the case for further development of our preselected ASOs as therapeutic or prophylactic antiviral agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vita Dauksaite
- Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology), Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Ali Tas
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Anouk Spruit
- Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology), Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn J van Hemert
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eric J Snijder
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Anton Jan van Zonneveld
- Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine (Nephrology), Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
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9
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Knizhnik E, Chumakov S, Svetlova J, Pavlova I, Khodarovich Y, Brylev V, Severov V, Alieva R, Kozlovskaya L, Andreev D, Aralov A, Varizhuk A. Unwinding the SARS-CoV-2 Ribosomal Frameshifting Pseudoknot with LNA and G-Clamp-Modified Phosphorothioate Oligonucleotides Inhibits Viral Replication. Biomolecules 2023; 13:1660. [PMID: 38002341 PMCID: PMC10668963 DOI: 10.3390/biom13111660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribosomal frameshifting (RFS) at the slippery site of SARS-CoV-2 RNA is essential for the biosynthesis of the viral replication machinery. It requires the formation of a pseudoknot (PK) structure near the slippery site and can be inhibited by PK-disrupting oligonucleotide-based antivirals. We obtained and compared three types of such antiviral candidates, namely locked nucleic acids (LNA), LNA-DNA gapmers, and G-clamp-containing phosphorothioates (CPSs) complementary to PK stems. Using optical and electrophoretic methods, we showed that stem 2-targeting oligonucleotide analogs induced PK unfolding at nanomolar concentrations, and this effect was particularly pronounced in the case of LNA. For the leading PK-unfolding LNA and CPS oligonucleotide analogs, we also demonstrated dose-dependent RSF inhibition in dual luciferase assays (DLAs). Finally, we showed that the leading oligonucleotide analogs reduced SARS-CoV-2 replication at subtoxic concentrations in the nanomolar range in two human cell lines. Our findings highlight the promise of PK targeting, illustrate the advantages and limitations of various types of DNA modifications and may promote the future development of oligonucleotide-based antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Knizhnik
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (E.K.); (J.S.); (I.P.); (V.S.)
- Department of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Stepan Chumakov
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.C.); (Y.K.); (V.B.); (D.A.)
| | - Julia Svetlova
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (E.K.); (J.S.); (I.P.); (V.S.)
| | - Iulia Pavlova
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (E.K.); (J.S.); (I.P.); (V.S.)
- Department of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Yuri Khodarovich
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.C.); (Y.K.); (V.B.); (D.A.)
- Research and Educational Resource Center for Cellular Technologies of The Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, 117198 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vladimir Brylev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.C.); (Y.K.); (V.B.); (D.A.)
| | - Vjacheslav Severov
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (E.K.); (J.S.); (I.P.); (V.S.)
| | - Rugiya Alieva
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia;
- Raman Spectroscopy Laboratory, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
| | - Liubov Kozlovskaya
- Chumakov Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products, Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), 108819 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Dmitry Andreev
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.C.); (Y.K.); (V.B.); (D.A.)
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Andrey Aralov
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (E.K.); (J.S.); (I.P.); (V.S.)
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia; (S.C.); (Y.K.); (V.B.); (D.A.)
| | - Anna Varizhuk
- Lopukhin Federal Research and Clinical Center of Physical-Chemical Medicine of Federal Medical Biological Agency, 119435 Moscow, Russia; (E.K.); (J.S.); (I.P.); (V.S.)
- Department of Biological and Medical Physics, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, 141701 Dolgoprudny, Russia
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10
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Song A, Phandthong R, Talbot P. Endocytosis inhibitors block SARS-CoV-2 pseudoparticle infection of mink lung epithelium. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1258975. [PMID: 38033586 PMCID: PMC10682793 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1258975] [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: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Both spill over and spill back of SARS-CoV-2 virus have been reported on mink farms in Europe and the United States. Zoonosis is a public health concern as dangerous mutated forms of the virus could be introduced into the human population through spillback. Methods The purpose of our study was to determine the SARS-CoV-2 entry mechanism using the mink lung epithelial cell line (Mv1Lu) and to block entry with drug inhibitors. Results Mv1Lu cells were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 viral pseudoparticle infection, validating them as a suitable disease model for COVID-19. Inhibitors of TMPRSS2 and of endocytosis, two pathways of viral entry, were tested to identify those that blocked infection. TMPRSS2 inhibitors had minimal impact, which can be explained by the apparent lack of activity of this enzyme in the mink and its localization within the cell, not on the cell surface. Discussion Dyngo4a, a small molecule endocytosis inhibitor, significantly reduced infection, supporting the conclusion that the entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus into Mv1Lu cells occurs primarily through endocytosis. The small molecule inhibitors that were effective in this study could potentially be used therapeutically to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection in mink populations. This study will facilitate the development of therapeutics to prevent zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variants to other animals, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Song
- Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Rattapol Phandthong
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Prue Talbot
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
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11
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Vögele J, Hymon D, Martins J, Ferner J, Jonker HA, Hargrove A, Weigand J, Wacker A, Schwalbe H, Wöhnert J, Duchardt-Ferner E. High-resolution structure of stem-loop 4 from the 5'-UTR of SARS-CoV-2 solved by solution state NMR. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:11318-11331. [PMID: 37791874 PMCID: PMC10639051 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We present the high-resolution structure of stem-loop 4 of the 5'-untranslated region (5_SL4) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome solved by solution state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. 5_SL4 adopts an extended rod-like structure with a single flexible looped-out nucleotide and two mixed tandem mismatches, each composed of a G•U wobble base pair and a pyrimidine•pyrimidine mismatch, which are incorporated into the stem-loop structure. Both the tandem mismatches and the looped-out residue destabilize the stem-loop structure locally. Their distribution along the 5_SL4 stem-loop suggests a role of these non-canonical elements in retaining functionally important structural plasticity in particular with regard to the accessibility of the start codon of an upstream open reading frame located in the RNA's apical loop. The apical loop-although mostly flexible-harbors residual structural features suggesting an additional role in molecular recognition processes. 5_SL4 is highly conserved among the different variants of SARS-CoV-2 and can be targeted by small molecule ligands, which it binds with intermediate affinity in the vicinity of the non-canonical elements within the stem-loop structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Vögele
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Daniel Hymon
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Jason Martins
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Jan Ferner
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Hendrik R A Jonker
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | | | - Julia E Weigand
- Philipps-University Marburg, Department of Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Marbacher Weg 6, 35037 Marburg, Germany
| | - Anna Wacker
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Harald Schwalbe
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Institute for Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Jens Wöhnert
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
| | - Elke Duchardt-Ferner
- Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
- Center for Biomolecular Magnetic Resonance (BMRZ), Goethe-University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 7, 60438 Frankfurt/M., Germany
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12
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Okamoto S, Echigoya Y, Tago A, Segawa T, Sato Y, Itou T. Antiviral Efficacy of RNase H-Dependent Gapmer Antisense Oligonucleotides against Japanese Encephalitis Virus. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14846. [PMID: 37834294 PMCID: PMC10573891 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
RNase H-dependent gapmer antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are a promising therapeutic approach via sequence-specific binding to and degrading target RNAs. However, the efficacy and mechanism of antiviral gapmer ASOs have remained unclear. Here, we investigated the inhibitory effects of gapmer ASOs containing locked nucleic acids (LNA gapmers) on proliferating a mosquito-borne flavivirus, Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), with high mortality. We designed several LNA gapmers targeting the 3' untranslated region of JEV genomic RNAs. In vitro screening by plaque assay using Vero cells revealed that LNA gapmers targeting a stem-loop region effectively inhibit JEV proliferation. Cell-based and RNA cleavage assays using mismatched LNA gapmers exhibited an underlying mechanism where the inhibition of viral production results from JEV RNA degradation by LNA gapmers in a sequence- and modification-dependent manner. Encouragingly, LNA gapmers potently inhibited the proliferation of five JEV strains of predominant genotypes I and III in human neuroblastoma cells without apparent cytotoxicity. Database searching showed a low possibility of off-target binding of our LNA gapmers to human RNAs. The target viral RNA sequence conservation observed here highlighted their broad-spectrum antiviral potential against different JEV genotypes/strains. This work will facilitate the development of an antiviral LNA gapmer therapy for JEV and other flavivirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunsuke Okamoto
- Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan; (S.O.); (T.S.); (T.I.)
- Nihon University Veterinary Research Center, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan; (A.T.); (Y.S.)
| | - Yusuke Echigoya
- Nihon University Veterinary Research Center, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan; (A.T.); (Y.S.)
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Ayaka Tago
- Nihon University Veterinary Research Center, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan; (A.T.); (Y.S.)
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Takao Segawa
- Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan; (S.O.); (T.S.); (T.I.)
- Nihon University Veterinary Research Center, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan; (A.T.); (Y.S.)
| | - Yukita Sato
- Nihon University Veterinary Research Center, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan; (A.T.); (Y.S.)
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Takuya Itou
- Laboratory of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan; (S.O.); (T.S.); (T.I.)
- Nihon University Veterinary Research Center, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan; (A.T.); (Y.S.)
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13
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Park S, Kim SH, Dezhbord M, Lee EH, Jeon Y, Jung D, Gu SH, Yu C, Lee SH, Kim SC, Kim KH. Cell-permeable peptide nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotide platform targeting human betacoronaviruses. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1258091. [PMID: 37840724 PMCID: PMC10570754 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1258091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) with therapeutic potential have recently been reported to target the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs)-based ASOs have been regarded as promising drug candidates, but intracellular delivery has been a significant obstacle. Here, we present novel modified PNAs, termed OPNAs, with excellent cell permeability that disrupt the RNA genome of SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-OC43 by introducing cationic lipid moiety onto the nucleobase of PNA oligomer backbone. Methods HCT-8 cells and Caco-2 cells were treated with 1 μM antisense OPNAs at the time of viral challenge and the Viral RNA levels were measured by RT-qPCR three days post infection. Results NSP 14 targeting OPNA 5 and 11, reduced the viral titer to a half and OPNA 530, 531 and 533 lowered viral gene expression levels to less than 50% of control by targeting the 5' UTR region. Several modifications (oligo size and position, etc.) were introduced to enhance the efficacy of selected OPNAs. Improved OPNAs exhibited a dose-dependent reduction in viral replication and nucleoprotein (NP) protein. When a mixture of oligomers was applied to infected cells, viral titer and NP levels decreased by more than eightfold. Discussion In this study, we have developed a modified PNA ASO platform with exceptional chemical stability, high binding affinity, and cellular permeability. These findings indicate that OPNAs are a promising platform for the development of antivirals to combat future pandemic viral infections that do not require a carrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soree Park
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Ho Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Mehrangiz Dezhbord
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Hwi Lee
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeasel Jeon
- OliPass Inc., Yongin, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea
| | - Daram Jung
- OliPass Inc., Yongin, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea
| | - Se Hun Gu
- Chem-BioTechnology Center, Advanced Defense Science & Technology Research Institute, Agency for Defense Development, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Chiho Yu
- Chem-BioTechnology Center, Advanced Defense Science & Technology Research Institute, Agency for Defense Development, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Ho Lee
- Chem-BioTechnology Center, Advanced Defense Science & Technology Research Institute, Agency for Defense Development, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | | | - Kyun-Hwan Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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14
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Babalola BA, Akinsuyi OS, Folajimi EO, Olujimi F, Otunba AA, Chikere B, Adewumagun IA, Adetobi TE. Exploring the future of SARS-CoV-2 treatment after the first two years of the pandemic: A comparative study of alternative therapeutics. Biomed Pharmacother 2023; 165:115099. [PMID: 37406505 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
One of the most pressing challenges associated with SARS-CoV-2 treatment is the emergence of new variants that may be more transmissible, cause more severe disease, or be resistant to current treatments and vaccines. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 has led to a global pandemic, resulting in millions of deaths worldwide. Various strategies have been employed to combat the virus, including neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), CRISPR/Cas13, and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs). While vaccines and small molecules have proven to be an effective means of preventing severe COVID-19 and reducing transmission rates, the emergence of new virus variants poses a challenge to their effectiveness. Monoclonal antibodies have shown promise in treating early-stage COVID-19, but their effectiveness is limited in severe cases and the emergence of new variants may reduce their binding affinity. CRISPR/Cas13 has shown potential in targeting essential viral genes, but its efficiency, specificity, and delivery to the site of infection are major limitations. ASOs have also been shown to be effective in targeting viral RNA, but they face similar challenges to CRISPR/Cas13 in terms of delivery and potential off-target effects. In conclusion, a combination of these strategies may provide a more effective means of combating SARS-CoV-2, and future research should focus on improving their efficiency, specificity, and delivery to the site of infection. It is evident that the continued research and development of these alternative therapies will be essential in the ongoing fight against SARS-CoV-2 and its potential future variants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Folakemi Olujimi
- Department of Biochemistry, Mountain Top University, Prayer-City, Ogun State, Nigeria
| | | | - Bruno Chikere
- Department of Biochemistry, Covenant University, Ogun State, Nigeria
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15
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Gasparello J, Marzaro G, Papi C, Gentili V, Rizzo R, Zurlo M, Scapoli C, Finotti A, Gambari R. Effects of Sulforaphane on SARS‑CoV‑2 infection and NF‑κB dependent expression of genes involved in the COVID‑19 'cytokine storm'. Int J Mol Med 2023; 52:76. [PMID: 37477130 PMCID: PMC10555481 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2023.5279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Since its spread at the beginning of 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19) pandemic represents one of the major health problems. Despite the approval, testing, and worldwide distribution of anti‑severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) vaccines, the development of specific antiviral agents targeting the SARS‑CoV‑2 life cycle with high efficiency, and/or interfering with the associated 'cytokine storm', is highly required. A recent study, conducted by the authors' group indicated that sulforaphane (SFN) inhibits the expression of IL‑6 and IL‑8 genes induced by the treatment of IB3‑1 bronchial cells with a recombinant spike protein of SARS‑CoV‑2. In the present study, the ability of SFN to inhibit SARS‑CoV‑2 replication and the expression of pro‑inflammatory genes encoding proteins of the COVID‑19 'cytokine storm' was evaluated. SARS‑CoV‑2 replication was assessed in bronchial epithelial Calu‑3 cells. Moreover, SARS‑CoV‑2 replication and expression of pro‑inflammatory genes was evaluated by reverse transcription quantitative droplet digital PCR. The effects on the expression levels of NF‑κB were assessed by western blotting. Molecular dynamics simulations of NF‑kB/SFN interactions were conducted with Gromacs 2021.1 software under the Martini 2 CG force field. Computational studies indicated that i) SFN was stably bound with the NF‑κB monomer; ii) a ternary NF‑kB/SFN/DNA complex was formed; iii) the SFN interacted with both the protein and the nucleic acid molecules modifying the binding mode of the latter, and impairing the full interaction between the NF‑κB protein and the DNA molecule. This finally stabilized the inactive complex. Molecular studies demonstrated that SFN i) inhibits the SARS‑CoV‑2 replication in infected Calu‑3 cells, decreasing the production of the N‑protein coding RNA sequences, ii) decreased NF‑κB content in SARS‑CoV‑2 infected cells and inhibited the expression of NF‑kB‑dependent IL‑1β and IL‑8 gene expression. The data obtained in the present study demonstrated inhibitory effects of SFN on the SARS‑CoV‑2 life cycle and on the expression levels of the pro‑inflammatory genes, sustaining the possible use of SFN in the management of patients with COVID‑19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Gasparello
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, I-44121 Ferrara
| | - Giovanni Marzaro
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padova, I-35131 Padova
| | - Chiara Papi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, I-44121 Ferrara
| | - Valentina Gentili
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Roberta Rizzo
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Ferrara, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Matteo Zurlo
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, I-44121 Ferrara
| | - Chiara Scapoli
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, I-44121 Ferrara
| | - Alessia Finotti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, I-44121 Ferrara
| | - Roberto Gambari
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, I-44121 Ferrara
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16
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Martín-Hernández D, Muñoz-López M, Tendilla-Beltrán H, Caso JR, García-Bueno B, Menchén L, Leza JC. Immune System and Brain/Intestinal Barrier Functions in Psychiatric Diseases: Is Sphingosine-1-Phosphate at the Helm? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12634. [PMID: 37628815 PMCID: PMC10454107 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past few decades, extensive research has shed light on immune alterations and the significance of dysfunctional biological barriers in psychiatric disorders. The leaky gut phenomenon, intimately linked to the integrity of both brain and intestinal barriers, may play a crucial role in the origin of peripheral and central inflammation in these pathologies. Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a bioactive lipid that regulates both the immune response and the permeability of biological barriers. Notably, S1P-based drugs, such as fingolimod and ozanimod, have received approval for treating multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS), and ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory condition of the colon, respectively. Although the precise mechanisms of action are still under investigation, the effectiveness of S1P-based drugs in treating these pathologies sparks a debate on extending their use in psychiatry. This comprehensive review aims to delve into the molecular mechanisms through which S1P modulates the immune system and brain/intestinal barrier functions. Furthermore, it will specifically focus on psychiatric diseases, with the primary objective of uncovering the potential of innovative therapies based on S1P signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Martín-Hernández
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-L.); (J.R.C.); (B.G.-B.); (J.C.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Marina Muñoz-López
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-L.); (J.R.C.); (B.G.-B.); (J.C.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Hiram Tendilla-Beltrán
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), 72570 Puebla, Mexico;
| | - Javier R. Caso
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-L.); (J.R.C.); (B.G.-B.); (J.C.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Borja García-Bueno
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-L.); (J.R.C.); (B.G.-B.); (J.C.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Menchén
- Servicio de Aparato Digestivo, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Departamento de Medicina, Universidad Complutense, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, 28007 Madrid, Spain;
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBEREHD, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan C. Leza
- Departamento de Farmacología y Toxicología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Neuroquímica (IUIN), 28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.-L.); (J.R.C.); (B.G.-B.); (J.C.L.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERSAM, ISCIII), 28029 Madrid, Spain
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17
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Gudima G, Kofiadi I, Shilovskiy I, Kudlay D, Khaitov M. Antiviral Therapy of COVID-19. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24108867. [PMID: 37240213 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the scientific community has focused on prophylactic vaccine development. In parallel, the experience of the pharmacotherapy of this disease has increased. Due to the declining protective capacity of vaccines against new strains, as well as increased knowledge about the structure and biology of the pathogen, control of the disease has shifted to the focus of antiviral drug development over the past year. Clinical data on safety and efficacy of antivirals acting at various stages of the virus life cycle has been published. In this review, we summarize mechanisms and clinical efficacy of antiviral therapy of COVID-19 with drugs based on plasma of convalescents, monoclonal antibodies, interferons, fusion inhibitors, nucleoside analogs, and protease inhibitors. The current status of the drugs described is also summarized in relation to the official clinical guidelines for the treatment of COVID-19. In addition, here we describe innovative drugs whose antiviral effect is provided by antisense oligonucleotides targeting the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Analysis of laboratory and clinical data suggests that current antivirals successfully combat broad spectra of emerging strains of SARS-CoV-2 providing reliable defense against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgii Gudima
- NRC Institute of Immunology, Federal Medico-Biological Agency, 115522 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya Kofiadi
- NRC Institute of Immunology, Federal Medico-Biological Agency, 115522 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Immunology, N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Igor Shilovskiy
- NRC Institute of Immunology, Federal Medico-Biological Agency, 115522 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitry Kudlay
- NRC Institute of Immunology, Federal Medico-Biological Agency, 115522 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Pharmacy, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Musa Khaitov
- NRC Institute of Immunology, Federal Medico-Biological Agency, 115522 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Immunology, N.I. Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, 117997 Moscow, Russia
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18
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Forstmeier PC, Meyer MO, Bevilacqua PC. The Functional RNA Identification (FRID) Pipeline: Identification of Potential Pseudoknot-Containing RNA Elements as Therapeutic Targets for SARS-CoV-2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.03.535424. [PMID: 37066195 PMCID: PMC10103974 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.03.535424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic persists despite the development of effective vaccines. As such, it remains crucial to identify new targets for antiviral therapies. The causative virus of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is a positive-sense RNA virus with RNA structures that could serve as therapeutic targets. One such RNA with established function is the frameshift stimulatory element (FSE), which promotes programmed ribosomal frameshifting. To accelerate identification of additional functional RNA elements, we introduce a novel computational approach termed the Functional RNA Identification (FRID) pipeline. The guiding principle of our pipeline, which uses established component programs as well as customized component programs, is that functional RNA elements have conserved secondary and pseudoknot structures that facilitate function. To assess the presence and conservation of putative functional RNA elements in SARS-CoV-2, we compared over 6,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomic isolates. We identified 22 functional RNA elements from the SARS-CoV-2 genome, 14 of which have conserved pseudoknots and serve as potential targets for small molecule or antisense oligonucleotide therapeutics. The FRID pipeline is general and can be applied to identify pseudoknotted RNAs for targeted therapeutics in genomes or transcriptomes from any virus or organism.
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19
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Allan MF, Brivanlou A, Rouskin S. RNA levers and switches controlling viral gene expression. Trends Biochem Sci 2023; 48:391-406. [PMID: 36710231 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2022.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
RNA viruses are diverse and abundant pathogens that are responsible for numerous human diseases. RNA viruses possess relatively compact genomes and have therefore evolved multiple mechanisms to maximize their coding capacities, often by encoding overlapping reading frames. These reading frames are then decoded by mechanisms such as alternative splicing and ribosomal frameshifting to produce multiple distinct proteins. These solutions are enabled by the ability of the RNA genome to fold into 3D structures that can mimic cellular RNAs, hijack host proteins, and expose or occlude regulatory protein-binding motifs to ultimately control key process in the viral life cycle. We highlight recent findings focusing on less conventional mechanisms of gene expression and new discoveries on the role of RNA structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F Allan
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Computational and Systems Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Amir Brivanlou
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Silvi Rouskin
- Department of Microbiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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20
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Yang G, Zhang S, Song W, Bai X, Li L, Luo F, Cheng Y, Wang D, Wang Y, Chen J, Zhao J, Zhao Y. Efficient Targeted Delivery of Bifunctional Circular Aptamer-ASO Chimera to Suppress the SARS-CoV-2 Proliferation and Inflammation. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2207066. [PMID: 36683236 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202207066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Inhibition of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and excessive inflammation is the current task in the prevention and treatment of corona vireus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Here, a dual-function circular aptamer-ASO chimera (circSApt-NASO) is designed to suppress SARS-CoV-2 replication and inflammation. The chemically unmodified circSApt-NASO exhibits high serum stability by artificial cyclization. It is also demonstrated that the SApt binding to spike protein enables the chimera to be efficiently delivered into the host cells expressing ACE2 along with the infection of SARS-CoV-2. Among them, the SApt potently inhibits spike-induced inflammation. The NASO targeting to silence N genes not only display robust anti-N-induced inflammatory activity, but also achieve efficient inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication. Overall, benefiting from the high stability of the cyclization, antispike aptamer-dependent, and viral infection-mediate targeted delivery, the circSApt-NASO displays robust potential against authentic SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron, providing a promising specific anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative reagent for therapeutic COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Yang
- Department Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Institution Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Shengnan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | | | - Xia Bai
- Department Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Institution Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Ling Li
- Department Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Institution Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Fatao Luo
- Department Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Institution Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Yiran Cheng
- Department Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Institution Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Diyue Wang
- Department Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Institution Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, P. R. China
| | - Yanqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Jiantao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Jincun Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510182, China
| | - Yongyun Zhao
- Department Center for Functional Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Science, Institution Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610064, P. R. China
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21
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Hariharan VN, Shin M, Chang CW, O’Reilly D, Biscans A, Yamada K, Guo Z, Somasundaran M, Tang Q, Monopoli K, Krishnamurthy PM, Devi G, McHugh N, Cooper DA, Echeverria D, Cruz J, Chan IL, Liu P, Lim SY, McConnell J, Singh SP, Hildebrand S, Sousa J, Davis SM, Kennedy Z, Ferguson C, Godinho BMDC, Thillier Y, Caiazzi J, Ly S, Muhuri M, Kelly K, Humphries F, Cousineau A, Parsi KM, Li Q, Wang Y, Maehr R, Gao G, Korkin D, McDougall WM, Finberg RW, Fitzgerald KA, Wang JP, Watts JK, Khvorova A. Divalent siRNAs are bioavailable in the lung and efficiently block SARS-CoV-2 infection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2219523120. [PMID: 36893269 PMCID: PMC10089225 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2219523120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The continuous evolution of SARS-CoV-2 variants complicates efforts to combat the ongoing pandemic, underscoring the need for a dynamic platform for the rapid development of pan-viral variant therapeutics. Oligonucleotide therapeutics are enhancing the treatment of numerous diseases with unprecedented potency, duration of effect, and safety. Through the systematic screening of hundreds of oligonucleotide sequences, we identified fully chemically stabilized siRNAs and ASOs that target regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome conserved in all variants of concern, including delta and omicron. We successively evaluated candidates in cellular reporter assays, followed by viral inhibition in cell culture, with eventual testing of leads for in vivo antiviral activity in the lung. Previous attempts to deliver therapeutic oligonucleotides to the lung have met with only modest success. Here, we report the development of a platform for identifying and generating potent, chemically modified multimeric siRNAs bioavailable in the lung after local intranasal and intratracheal delivery. The optimized divalent siRNAs showed robust antiviral activity in human cells and mouse models of SARS-CoV-2 infection and represent a new paradigm for antiviral therapeutic development for current and future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vignesh N. Hariharan
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Minwook Shin
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Ching-Wen Chang
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Daniel O’Reilly
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Annabelle Biscans
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Ken Yamada
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Zhiru Guo
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Mohan Somasundaran
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Qi Tang
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Kathryn Monopoli
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | | | - Gitali Devi
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Nicholas McHugh
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - David A. Cooper
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Dimas Echeverria
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - John Cruz
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Io Long Chan
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Ping Liu
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Sun-Young Lim
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Jill McConnell
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Satya Prakash Singh
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Samuel Hildebrand
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Jacquelyn Sousa
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Sarah M. Davis
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Zachary Kennedy
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Chantal Ferguson
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Bruno M. D. C. Godinho
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Yann Thillier
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Jillian Caiazzi
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Socheata Ly
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Manish Muhuri
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Karen Kelly
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Fiachra Humphries
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Alyssa Cousineau
- Diabetes Center of Excellence and Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Krishna Mohan Parsi
- Diabetes Center of Excellence and Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Qi Li
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Yang Wang
- MassBiologics, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - René Maehr
- Diabetes Center of Excellence and Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Guangping Gao
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Dmitry Korkin
- Department of Computer Science, and Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA01609
| | - William M. McDougall
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Robert W. Finberg
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Katherine A. Fitzgerald
- Program in Innate Immunity, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Jennifer P. Wang
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Jonathan K. Watts
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
- Li Weibo Institute for Rare Diseases Research, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
| | - Anastasia Khvorova
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA01655
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22
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Qiao Y, Wotring JW, Zhang CJ, Jiang X, Xiao L, Watt A, Gattis D, Scandalis E, Freier S, Zheng Y, Pretto CD, Ellison SJ, Swayze EE, Guo S, Sexton JZ, Chinnaiyan AM. Antisense oligonucleotides to therapeutically target SARS-CoV-2 infection. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0281281. [PMID: 36735698 PMCID: PMC9897518 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0281281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the COVID-19 pandemic began over three years ago, the virus responsible for the disease, SARS-CoV-2, continues to infect people across the globe. As such, there remains a critical need for development of novel therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2. One technology that has remained relatively unexplored in COVID-19 is the use of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs)-short single-stranded nucleic acids that bind to target RNA transcripts to modulate their expression. In this study, ASOs targeted against the SARS-CoV-2 genome and host entry factors, ACE2 and TMPRSS2, were designed and tested for their ability to inhibit cellular infection by SARS-CoV-2. Using our previously developed SARS-CoV-2 bioassay platform, we screened 180 total ASOs targeting various regions of the SARS-CoV-2 genome and validated several ASOs that potently blocked SARS-CoV-2 infection in vitro. Notably, select ASOs retained activity against both the WA1 and B.1.1.7 (commonly known as alpha) variants. Screening of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 ASOs showed that targeting of ACE2 also potently prevented infection by the WA1 and B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 viruses in the tested cell lines. Combined with the demonstrated success of ASOs in other disease indications, these results support further research into the development of ASOs targeting SARS-CoV-2 and host entry factors as potential COVID-19 therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Qiao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Jesse W. Wotring
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Charles J. Zhang
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Xia Jiang
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Lanbo Xiao
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Andy Watt
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, United States of America
| | - Danielle Gattis
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, United States of America
| | - Eli Scandalis
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, United States of America
| | - Susan Freier
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, United States of America
| | - Yang Zheng
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Carla D. Pretto
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Stephanie J. Ellison
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Eric E. Swayze
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, United States of America
| | - Shuling Guo
- Ionis Pharmaceuticals, Carlsbad, CA, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Z. Sexton
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Center for Drug Repurposing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Arul M. Chinnaiyan
- Michigan Center for Translational Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Rogel Cancer Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
- Department of Urology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
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23
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Szczesniak I, Baliga-Gil A, Jarmolowicz A, Soszynska-Jozwiak M, Kierzek E. Structural and Functional RNA Motifs of SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A Virus as a Target of Viral Inhibitors. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021232. [PMID: 36674746 PMCID: PMC9860923 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas the influenza A virus (IAV) causes seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. Both viruses lead to widespread infection and death. SARS-CoV-2 and the influenza virus are RNA viruses. The SARS-CoV-2 genome is an approximately 30 kb, positive sense, 5' capped single-stranded RNA molecule. The influenza A virus genome possesses eight single-stranded negative-sense segments. The RNA secondary structure in the untranslated and coding regions is crucial in the viral replication cycle. The secondary structure within the RNA of SARS-CoV-2 and the influenza virus has been intensively studied. Because the whole of the SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus replication cycles are dependent on RNA with no DNA intermediate, the RNA is a natural and promising target for the development of inhibitors. There are a lot of RNA-targeting strategies for regulating pathogenic RNA, such as small interfering RNA for RNA interference, antisense oligonucleotides, catalytic nucleic acids, and small molecules. In this review, we summarized the knowledge about the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A virus propagation by targeting their RNA secondary structure.
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24
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Tojo K, Yamamoto N, Tamada N, Mihara T, Abe M, Nishii M, Takeuchi I, Goto T. Early alveolar epithelial cell necrosis is a potential driver of COVID-19-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome. iScience 2022; 26:105748. [PMID: 36507222 PMCID: PMC9722615 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with COVID-19 is aggravated by hyperinflammatory responses even after the peak of the viral load has passed; however, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, analysis of the alveolar tissue injury markers and epithelial cell death markers in patients with COVID-19 revealed that COVID-19-induced ARDS was characterized by alveolar epithelial necrosis at an early disease stage. Serum levels of HMGB-1, one of the DAMPs released from necrotic cells, were also significantly elevated in these patients. Further analysis using a mouse model mimicking COVID-19-induced ARDS showed that the alveolar epithelial cell necrosis involved two forms of programmed necrosis, namely necroptosis, and pyroptosis. Finally, the neutralization of HMGB-1 attenuated alveolar tissue injury in the mouse model. Collectively, necrosis, including necroptosis and pyroptosis, is the predominant form of alveolar epithelial cell death at an early disease stage and subsequent release of DAMPs is a potential driver of COVID-19-induced ARDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kentaro Tojo
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan,Corresponding author
| | - Natsuhiro Yamamoto
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Nao Tamada
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan,Department of Paramedic, Kyorin University Faculty of Health Sciences, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takahiro Mihara
- Department of Health Data Science, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Data Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Miyo Abe
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Mototsugu Nishii
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Ichiro Takeuchi
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takahisa Goto
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
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25
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Calero M, Moleiro LH, Sayd A, Dorca Y, Miquel-Rio L, Paz V, Robledo-Montaña J, Enciso E, Acción F, Herráez-Aguilar D, Hellweg T, Sánchez L, Bortolozzi A, Leza JC, García-Bueno B, Monroy F. Lipid nanoparticles for antisense oligonucleotide gene interference into brain border-associated macrophages. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:887678. [PMID: 36406277 PMCID: PMC9671215 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.887678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A colloidal synthesis’ proof-of-concept based on the Bligh–Dyer emulsion inversion method was designed for integrating into lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) cell-permeating DNA antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), also known as GapmeRs (GRs), for mRNA interference. The GR@LNPs were formulated to target brain border-associated macrophages (BAMs) as a central nervous system (CNS) therapy platform for silencing neuroinflammation-related genes. We specifically aim at inhibiting the expression of the gene encoding for lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS), an anti-inflammatory enzyme expressed in BAMs, whose level of expression is altered in neuropsychopathologies such as depression and schizophrenia. The GR@LNPs are expected to demonstrate a bio-orthogonal genetic activity reacting with L-PGDS gene transcripts inside the living system without interfering with other genetic or biochemical circuitries. To facilitate selective BAM phagocytosis and avoid subsidiary absorption by other cells, they were functionalized with a mannosylated lipid as a specific MAN ligand for the mannose receptor presented by the macrophage surface. The GR@LNPs showed a high GR-packing density in a compact multilamellar configuration as structurally characterized by light scattering, zeta potential, and transmission electronic microscopy. As a preliminary biological evaluation of the mannosylated GR@LNP nanovectors into specifically targeted BAMs, we detected in vivo gene interference after brain delivery by intracerebroventricular injection (ICV) in Wistar rats subjected to gene therapy protocol. The results pave the way towards novel gene therapy platforms for advanced treatment of neuroinflammation-related pathologies with ASO@LNP nanovectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macarena Calero
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
- Health Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Lara H. Moleiro
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
- Physikalische und Biophysikalische Chemie, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Aline Sayd
- Health Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) ISCIII. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Yeray Dorca
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lluis Miquel-Rio
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) ISCIII. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) 08036 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Verónica Paz
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) ISCIII. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) 08036 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Robledo-Montaña
- Health Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) ISCIII. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Eduardo Enciso
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Acción
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diego Herráez-Aguilar
- Health Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biosanitarias, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Thomas Hellweg
- Physikalische und Biophysikalische Chemie, Universität Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Luis Sánchez
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Analía Bortolozzi
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) ISCIII. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques de Barcelona, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) 08036 Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Juan C. Leza
- Health Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) ISCIII. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Borja García-Bueno
- Health Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM) ISCIII. Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Borja García-Bueno, ; Francisco Monroy,
| | - Francisco Monroy
- Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain
- Health Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (Imas12), Madrid, Spain
- *Correspondence: Borja García-Bueno, ; Francisco Monroy,
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26
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Stincarelli MA, Rocca A, Antonelli A, Rossolini GM, Giannecchini S. Antiviral Activity of Oligonucleotides Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Genomic RNA Stem-Loop Sequences within the 3'-End of the ORF1b. Pathogens 2022; 11:1286. [PMID: 36365037 PMCID: PMC9696570 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11111286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 08/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Increased evidence shows vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exhibited no long-term efficacy and limited worldwide availability, while existing antivirals and treatment options have only limited efficacy. In this study, the main objective was the development of antiviral strategies using nucleic acid-based molecules. To this purpose, partially overlapped 6-19-mer phosphorothioate deoxyoligonucleotides (S-ONs) designed on the SARS-CoV-2 genomic RNA stem-loop packaging sequences within the 3' end of the ORF1b were synthetized using the direct and complementary sequence. Among the S-ONs tested, several oligonucleotides exhibited a fifty percent inhibitory concentration antiviral activity ranging from 0.27 to 34 μM, in the absence of cytotoxicity. The S-ON with a scrambled sequence used in the same conditions was not active. Moreover, selected 10-mer S-ONs were tested using different infectious doses and against different SARS-CoV-2 variants, showing comparable antiviral activity that was abrogated when the central sequence was mutated. Experiments to evaluate the intracellular functional target localization of the S-ON inhibitory activity were also performed. Collectively the data indicate that the SARS-CoV-2 packaging region in the 3' end of the ORF1b may be a promising target candidate for further investigation to develop innovative nucleic-acid-based antiviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Arianna Rocca
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Alberto Antonelli
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Gian Maria Rossolini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy
- Microbiology and Virology Unit, Florence Careggi University Hospital, I-50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Simone Giannecchini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, I-50134 Florence, Italy
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27
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Dhorne-Pollet S, Fitzpatrick C, Da Costa B, Bourgon C, Eléouët JF, Meunier N, Burzio VA, Delmas B, Barrey E. Antisense oligonucleotides targeting ORF1b block replication of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Front Microbiol 2022; 13:915202. [PMID: 36386681 PMCID: PMC9644129 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.915202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to pose a need for new and efficient therapeutic strategies. We explored antisense therapy using oligonucleotides targeting the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) genome. We predicted in silico four antisense oligonucleotides (ASO gapmers with 100% PTO linkages and LNA modifications at their 5' and 3'ends) targeting viral regions ORF1a, ORF1b, N and the 5'UTR of the SARS-CoV-2 genome. Efficiency of ASOs was tested by transfection in human ACE2-expressing HEK-293T cells and monkey VeroE6/TMPRSS2 cells infected with SARS-CoV-2. The ORF1b-targeting ASO was the most efficient, with a 71% reduction in the number of viral genome copies. N- and 5'UTR-targeting ASOs also significantly reduced viral replication by 55 and 63%, respectively, compared to non-related control ASO (ASO-C). Viral titration revealed a significant decrease in SARS-CoV-2 multiplication both in culture media and in cells. These results show that anti-ORF1b ASO can specifically reduce SARS-CoV-2 genome replication in vitro in two different cell infection models. The present study presents proof-of concept of antisense oligonucleotide technology as a promising therapeutic strategy for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher Fitzpatrick
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
- Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Bruno Da Costa
- INRAE, UMR VIM, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Clara Bourgon
- INRAE, UMR VIM, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | | | - Nicolas Meunier
- INRAE, UMR VIM, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Verónica A. Burzio
- Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Centro Científico y Tecnológico de Excelencia Ciencia, Vida/Andes Biotechnologies SpA, Santiago, Chile
| | - Bernard Delmas
- INRAE, UMR VIM, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Eric Barrey
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Université Paris-Saclay, Jouy-en-Josas, France
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