Inhibition of multiple subtypes of influenza A virus in cell cultures with morpholino oligomers.

TitleInhibition of multiple subtypes of influenza A virus in cell cultures with morpholino oligomers.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2006
AuthorsGe, Q, Pastey, M, Kobasa, D, Puthavathana, P, Lupfer, C, Bestwick, RK, Iversen, PL, Chen, J, Stein, DA
JournalAntimicrob Agents Chemother
Volume50
Issue11
Pagination3724-33
Date Published2006 Nov
ISSN0066-4804
KeywordsAnimals, Antiviral Agents, Cell Survival, Cells, Cultured, Cercopithecus aethiops, Cytopathogenic Effect, Viral, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Drug Design, Hemagglutination Tests, Humans, Influenza A virus, Morpholines, Protein Biosynthesis, RNA, Messenger, RNA, Viral, Vero Cells, Viral Plaque Assay
Abstract

Peptide-conjugated phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (P-PMO) are single-stranded nucleic acid-like antisense agents that can reduce gene expression by sterically blocking complementary RNA sequence. P-PMO are water soluble and nuclease resistant, and they readily achieve uptake into cells in culture under standard conditions. Eight P-PMO, each 20 to 22 bases in length, were evaluated for their ability to inhibit influenza A virus (FLUAV) A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) replication in cell culture. The P-PMO were designed to base pair with FLUAV RNA sequences that are highly conserved across viral subtypes and considered critical to the FLUAV biological-cycle, such as gene segment termini and mRNA translation start site regions. Several P-PMO were highly efficacious, each reducing viral titer in a dose-responsive and sequence-specific manner in A/PR/8/34-infected cells. Two P-PMO, one designed to target the AUG translation start site region of PB1 mRNA and the other the 3'-terminal region of nucleoprotein viral genome RNA, also proved to be potent against several other FLUAV strains, including A/WSN/33 (H1N1), A/Memphis/8/88 (H3N2), A/Eq/Miami/63 (H3N8), A/Eq/Prague/56 (H7N7), and the highly pathogenic A/Thailand/1(KAN-1)/04 (H5N1). The P-PMO exhibited minimal cytotoxicity in cell viability assays. High efficacy by two of the P-PMO against multiple FLUAV subtypes suggests that these oligomers represent a broad-spectrum therapeutic approach against a high percentage of known FLUAV strains.

DOI10.1128/AAC.00644-06
Alternate JournalAntimicrob. Agents Chemother.
PubMed ID16966399
PubMed Central IDPMC1635187
Grant ListAI56267 / AI / NIAID NIH HHS / United States
P50-CA112967 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States