scholarly journals Hepatitis C Virus RNA Elimination and Development of Resistance in Replicon Cells Treated with BMS-790052

2012 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 1350-1358 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunfu Wang ◽  
Haichang Huang ◽  
Lourdes Valera ◽  
Jin-Hua Sun ◽  
Donald R. O'Boyle ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBMS-790052, a first-in-class hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication complex inhibitor, targeting nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A), displays picomolar to nanomolar potency against genotypes 1 to 5. This exceptional potency translated into robust anti-HCV activity in clinical studies with HCV genotype 1-infected subjects. To date, all BMS-790052-associated resistance mutations have mapped to the N-terminal region of NS5A. To further characterize the antiviral activity of BMS-790052, HCV replicon elimination and colony formation assays were performed. Replicon was cleared from genotype 1a and 1b replicon cells in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Elimination of the genotype 1a replicon required longer treatment durations and higher concentrations of BMS-790052 than those for the genotype1b replicon. Single amino acid substitutions that conferred relatively low levels of resistance were observed at early time points and at low doses. Higher doses and longer treatment durations yielded mutations that conferred greater levels of resistance, including linked amino acid substitutions. Replicon cells that survived inhibitor treatment remained fully sensitivity to pegylated alpha interferon (pegIFN-α) and other HCV inhibitors. Moreover, genotype 1a replicon elimination was markedly enhanced when pegIFN-α and BMS-790052 were combined. Resistant variants observed in this study were very similar to those observed in a multiple ascending dose (MAD) monotherapy trial of BMS-790052, validating replicon elimination studies as a model to predict clinical resistance. Insights gained from thein vitroanti-HCV activity and resistance profiles of BMS-790052 will be used to help guide the clinical development of this novel HCV inhibitor.

2012 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 436-444 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoki Ogura ◽  
Yukiyo Toyonaga ◽  
Izuru Ando ◽  
Kunihiro Hirahara ◽  
Tsutomu Shibata ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTJTK-853, a palm site-binding NS5B nonnucleoside polymerase inhibitor, shows antiviral activityin vitroand in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Here, we report the results of genotypic and phenotypic analyses of resistant variants in 24 HCV genotype 1-infected patients who received JTK-853 (800, 1,200, or 1,600 mg twice daily or 1,200 mg three times daily) in a 3-day monotherapy. Viral resistance in NS5B was investigated using HCV RNA isolated from serum specimens from the patients. At the end of treatment (EOT) with JTK-853, the amino acid substitutions M414T (methionine [M] in position 414 at baseline was replaced with threonine [T] at EOT), C445R (cysteine [C] in position 445 at baseline was replaced with arginine [R] at EOT), Y448C/H (tyrosine [Y] in position 448 at baseline was replaced with cysteine [C] or histidine [H] at EOT), and L466F (leucine [L] in position 466 at baseline was replaced with phenylalanine [F] at EOT), which are known to be typical resistant variants of nonnucleoside polymerase inhibitors, were observed in a clonal sequencing analysis. These substitutions were also selected by a treatment with JTK-853in vitro, and the 50% effective concentration of JTK-853 in the M414T-, C445F-, Y448H-, and L466V-harboring replicons attenuated the susceptibility by 44-, 5-, 6-, and 21-fold, respectively, compared with that in the wild-type replicon (Con1). These findings suggest that amino acid substitutions of M414T, C445R, Y448C/H, and L466F are thought to be viral resistance mutations in HCV-infected patients receiving JTK-853 in a 3-day monotherapy.


2001 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 1437-1449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Volker Lohmann ◽  
Frank Körner ◽  
Aneta Dobierzewska ◽  
Ralf Bartenschlager

ABSTRACT As an initial approach to studying the molecular replication mechanisms of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a major causative agent of acute and chronic liver disease, we have recently developed selectable self-replicating RNAs. These replicons lacked the region encoding the structural proteins and instead carried the gene encoding the neomycin phosphotransferase. Although the replication levels of these RNAs within selected cells were high, the number of G418-resistant colonies was reproducibly low. In a search for the reason, we performed a detailed analysis of replicating HCV RNAs and identified several adaptive mutations enhancing the efficiency of colony formation by several orders of magnitude. Adaptive mutations were found in nearly every nonstructural protein but not in the 5′ or 3′ nontranslated regions. The most drastic effect was found with a single-amino-acid substitution in NS5B, increasing the number of colonies ∼500-fold. This mutation was conserved with RNAs isolated from one cell line, in contrast to other amino acid substitutions enhancing the efficiency of colony formation to a much lesser extent. Interestingly, some combinations of these nonconserved mutations with the highly adaptive one reduced the efficiency of colony formation drastically, suggesting that some adaptive mutations are not compatible.


2008 ◽  
Vol 82 (7) ◽  
pp. 3480-3489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Okamoto ◽  
Hiroko Omori ◽  
Yuuki Kaname ◽  
Takayuki Abe ◽  
Yorihiro Nishimura ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) regulates viral replication through its interaction with host and other viral proteins. We have previously shown that FK506-binding protein 8 (FKBP8) binds to NS5A and recruits Hsp90 to form a complex that participates in the replication of HCV. In this study, we examined the biochemical characteristics of the interaction and the intracellular localization of NS5A and FKBP8. Surface plasmon resonance analysis revealed that the dissociation constant of the interaction between the purified FKBP8 and NS5A expressed in bacteria was 82 nM. Mutational analyses of NS5A revealed that a single amino acid residue of Val or Ile at position 121, which is well conserved among all genotypes of HCV, is critical for the specific interaction with FKBP8. Substitution of the Val121 to Ala drastically impaired the replication of HCV replicon cells, and the drug-resistant replicon cells emerging after drug selection were shown to have reverted to the original arrangement by replacing Ala121 with Val. Examination of individual fields of the replicon cells by both fluorescence microscopy and electron microscopy (the correlative fluorescence microscopy-electron microscopy technique) revealed that FKBP8 is partially colocalized with NS5A in the cytoplasmic structure known as the membranous web. These results suggest that specific interaction of NS5A with FKBP8 in the cytoplasmic compartment plays a crucial role in the replication of HCV.


2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 6216-6226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Owens ◽  
Bradley B. Brasher ◽  
Alex Polemeropoulos ◽  
Michael H. J. Rhodin ◽  
Nicole McAllister ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTEDP-239, a potent and selective hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 5A (NS5A) inhibitor developed for the treatment of HCV infection, has been investigatedin vitroandin vivo. This study sought to characterize genotypic changes in the HCV NS5A sequence of genotype 1 (GT1) replicons and to compare those changes to GT1 viral RNA mutations isolated from clinical trial patients. Resistance selection experimentsin vitrousing a subgenomic replicon identified resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) at GT1a NS5A amino acid positions 24, 28, 30, 31, and 93 that confer various degrees of resistance to EDP-239. Key RAMs were similarly identified in GT1b NS5A at amino acid positions 31 and 93. Mutations F36L in GT1a and A92V in GT1b do not confer resistance to EDP-239 individually but were found to enhance the resistance of GT1a K24R and GT1b Y93H. RAMs were identified in GT1 patients at baseline or after dosing with EDP-239 that were similar to those detectedin vitro. Baseline RAMs identified at NS5A position 93 in GT1, or positions 28 or 30 in GT1a only, correlated with a reduced treatment response. RAMs at additional positions were also detected and may have contributed to reduced EDP-239 efficacy. The most common GT1a and GT1b RAMs found to persist up to weeks 12, 24, or 48 were those at NS5A positions 28, 30, 31, 58 (GT1a only), and 93. Those RAMs persisting at the highest frequencies up to weeks 24 or 48 were L31M and Q30H/R for GT1a and L31M and Y93H for GT1b. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT01856426.)


2010 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 3641-3650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Fridell ◽  
Dike Qiu ◽  
Chunfu Wang ◽  
Lourdes Valera ◽  
Min Gao

ABSTRACT BMS-790052 is the most potent hepatitis C virus (HCV) inhibitor reported to date, with 50% effective concentrations (EC50s) of ≤50 pM against genotype 1 replicons. This exceptional potency translated to rapid viral load declines in a phase I clinical study. By targeting NS5A, BMS-790052 is distinct from most HCV inhibitors in clinical evaluation. As an initial step toward correlating in vitro and in vivo resistances, multiple cell lines and selective pressures were used to identify BMS-790052-resistant variants in genotype 1 replicons. Similarities and differences were observed between genotypes 1a and 1b. For genotype 1b, L31F/V, P32L, and Y93H/N were identified as primary resistance mutations. L23F, R30Q, and P58S acted as secondary resistance substitutions, enhancing the resistance of primary mutations but themselves not conferring resistance. For genotype 1a, more sites of resistance were identified, and substitutions at these sites (M28T, Q30E/H/R, L31M/V, P32L, and Y93C/H/N) conferred higher levels of resistance. For both subtypes, combining two resistance mutations markedly decreased inhibitor susceptibility. Selection studies with a 1b/1a hybrid replicon highlighted the importance of the NS5A N-terminal region in determining genotype-specific inhibitor responses. As single mutations, Q30E and Y93N in genotype 1a conferred the highest levels of resistance. For genotype 1b, BMS-790052 retained subnanomolar potency against all variants with single amino acid substitutions, suggesting that multiple mutations will likely be required for significant in vivo resistance in this genetic background. Importantly, BMS-790052-resistant variants remained fully sensitive to alpha interferon and small-molecule inhibitors of HCV protease and polymerase.


2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa I. Ng ◽  
Preethi Krishnan ◽  
Tami Pilot-Matias ◽  
Warren Kati ◽  
Gretja Schnell ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Pibrentasvir (ABT-530) is a novel and pan-genotypic hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5A inhibitor with 50% effective concentration (EC50) values ranging from 1.4 to 5.0 pM against HCV replicons containing NS5A from genotypes 1 to 6. Pibrentasvir demonstrated similar activity against a panel of chimeric replicons containing HCV NS5A of genotypes 1 to 6 from clinical samples. Resistance selection studies were conducted using HCV replicon cells with NS5A from genotype 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 4a, 5a, or 6a at a concentration of pibrentasvir that was 10- or 100-fold over its EC50 for the respective replicon. With pibrentasvir at 10-fold over the respective EC50, only a small number of colonies (0.00015 to 0.0065% of input cells) with resistance-associated amino acid substitutions were selected in replicons containing genotype 1a, 2a, or 3a NS5A, and no viable colonies were selected in replicons containing NS5A from other genotypes. With pibrentasvir at 100-fold over the respective EC50, very few colonies (0.0002% of input cells) were selected by pibrentasvir in genotype 1a replicon cells while no colonies were selected in other replicons. Pibrentasvir is active against common resistance-conferring substitutions in HCV genotypes 1 to 6 that were identified for other NS5A inhibitors, including those at key amino acid positions 28, 30, 31, or 93. The combination of pibrentasvir with HCV inhibitors of other classes produced synergistic inhibition of HCV replication. In summary, pibrentasvir is a next-generation HCV NS5A inhibitor with potent and pan-genotypic activity, and it maintains activity against common amino acid substitutions of HCV genotypes 1 to 6 that are known to confer resistance to currently approved NS5A inhibitors.


2008 ◽  
Vol 52 (9) ◽  
pp. 3327-3338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Y. M. Howe ◽  
Huiming Cheng ◽  
Stephen Johann ◽  
Stanley Mullen ◽  
Srinivas K. Chunduru ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT HCV-796 selectively inhibits hepatitis C virus (HCV) NS5B RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. In hepatoma cells containing a genotype 1b HCV replicon, HCV-796 reduced HCV RNA levels by 3 to 4 log10 HCV copies/μg total RNA (the concentration of the compound that inhibited 50% of the HCV RNA level was 9 nM). Cells bearing replicon variants with reduced susceptibility to HCV-796 were generated in the presence of HCV-796, followed by G418 selection. Sequence analysis of the NS5B gene derived from the replicon variants revealed several amino acid changes within 5 Å of the drug-binding pocket. Specifically, mutations were observed at Leu314, Cys316, Ile363, Ser365, and Met414 of NS5B, which directly interact with HCV-796. The impacts of the amino acid substitutions on viral fitness and drug susceptibility were examined in recombinant replicons and NS5B enzymes with the single-amino-acid mutations. The replicon variants were 10- to 1,000-fold less efficient in forming colonies in cells than the wild-type replicon; the S365L variant failed to establish a stable cell line. Other variants (L314F, I363V, and M414V) had four- to ninefold-lower steady-state HCV RNA levels. Reduced binding affinity with HCV-796 was demonstrated in an enzyme harboring the C316Y mutation. The effects of these resistance mutations were structurally rationalized using X-ray crystallography data. While different levels of resistance to HCV-796 were observed in the replicon and enzyme variants, these variants retained their susceptibilities to pegylated interferon, ribavirin, and other HCV-specific inhibitors. The combined virological, biochemical, biophysical, and structural approaches revealed the mechanism of resistance in the variants selected by the potent polymerase inhibitor HCV-796.


2009 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 482-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie A. Lemm ◽  
Donald O'Boyle ◽  
Mengping Liu ◽  
Peter T. Nower ◽  
Richard Colonno ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Using a cell-based replicon screen, we identified a class of compounds with a thiazolidinone core structure as inhibitors of hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. The concentration of one such compound, BMS-824, that resulted in a 50% inhibition of HCV replicon replication was ∼5 nM, with a therapeutic index of >10,000. The compound showed good specificity for HCV, as it was not active against several other RNA and DNA viruses. Replicon cells resistant to BMS-824 were isolated, and mutations were identified. A combination of amino acid substitutions of leucine to valine at residue 31 (L31V) and glutamine to leucine at residue 54 (Q54L) in NS5A conferred resistance to this chemotype, as did a single substitution of tyrosine to histidine at amino acid 93 (Y93H) in NS5A. To further explore the region(s) of NS5A involved in inhibitor sensitivity, genotype-specific NS5A inhibitors were used to evaluate a series of genotype 1a/1b hybrid replicons. Our results showed that, consistent with resistance mapping, the inhibitor sensitivity domain also mapped to the N terminus of NS5A, but it could be distinguished from the key resistance sites. In addition, we demonstrated that NS5A inhibitors, as well as an active-site inhibitor that specifically binds NS3 protease, could block the hyperphosphorylation of NS5A, which is believed to play an essential role in the viral life cycle. Clinical proof of concept has recently been achieved with derivatives of these NS5A inhibitors, indicating that small molecules targeting a nontraditional viral protein like NS5A, without any known enzymatic activity, can also have profound antiviral effects on HCV-infected subjects.


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