scholarly journals Inhibition of Hepatitis B Virus Polymerase by Entecavir

2007 ◽  
Vol 81 (8) ◽  
pp. 3992-4001 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Langley ◽  
Ann W. Walsh ◽  
Carl J. Baldick ◽  
Betsy J. Eggers ◽  
Ronald E. Rose ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Entecavir (ETV; Baraclude) is a novel deoxyguanosine analog with activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV). ETV differs from the other nucleoside/tide reverse transcriptase inhibitors approved for HBV therapy, lamivudine (LVD) and adefovir (ADV), in several ways: ETV is >100-fold more potent against HBV in culture and, at concentrations below 1 μM, displays no significant activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Additionally, while LVD and ADV are obligate DNA chain terminators, ETV halts HBV DNA elongation after incorporating a few additional bases. Three-dimensional homology models of the catalytic center of the HBV reverse transcriptase (RT)-DNA-deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) complex, based on the HIV RT-DNA structure, were used with in vitro enzyme kinetic studies to examine the mechanism of action of ETV against HBV RT. A novel hydrophobic pocket in the rear of the RT dNTP binding site that accommodates the exocyclic alkene moiety of ETV was predicted, establishing a basis for the superior potency observed experimentally. HBV DNA chain termination by ETV was accomplished through disfavored energy requirements as well as steric constraints during subsequent nucleotide addition. Validation of the model was accomplished through modeling of LVD resistance substitutions, which caused an eightfold decrease in ETV susceptibility and were predicted to reduce, but not eliminate, the ETV-binding pocket, in agreement with experimental observations. ADV resistance changes did not affect the ETV docking model, also agreeing with experimental results. Overall, these studies explain the potency, mechanism, and cross-resistance profile of ETV against HBV and account for the successful treatment of naive and LVD- or ADV-experienced chronic HBV patients.

2006 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 902-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Tenney ◽  
Ronald E. Rose ◽  
Carl J. Baldick ◽  
Steven M. Levine ◽  
Kevin A. Pokornowski ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Entecavir (ETV) is a deoxyguanosine analog approved for use for the treatment of chronic infection with wild-type and lamivudine-resistant (LVDr) hepatitis B virus (HBV). In LVD-refractory patients, 1.0 mg ETV suppressed HBV DNA levels to below the level of detection by PCR (<300 copies/ml) in 21% and 34% of patients by Weeks 48 and 96, respectively. Prior studies showed that virologic rebound due to ETV resistance (ETVr) required preexisting LVDr HBV reverse transcriptase substitutions M204V and L180M plus additional changes at T184, S202, or M250. To monitor for resistance, available isolates from 192 ETV-treated patients were sequenced, with phenotyping performed for all isolates with all emerging substitutions, in addition to isolates from all patients experiencing virologic rebounds. The T184, S202, or M250 substitution was found in LVDr HBV at baseline in 6% of patients and emerged in isolates from another 11/187 (6%) and 12/151 (8%) ETV-treated patients by Weeks 48 and 96, respectively. However, use of a more sensitive PCR assay detected many of the emerging changes at baseline, suggesting that they originated during LVD therapy. Only a subset of the changes in ETVr isolates altered their susceptibilities, and virtually all isolates were significantly replication impaired in vitro. Consequently, only 2/187 (1%) patients experienced ETVr rebounds in year 1, with an additional 14/151 (9%) patients experiencing ETVr rebounds in year 2. Isolates from all 16 patients with rebounds were LVDr and harbored the T184 and/or S202 change. Seventeen other novel substitutions emerged during ETV therapy, but none reduced the susceptibility to ETV or resulted in a rebound. In summary, ETV was effective in LVD-refractory patients, with resistant sequences arising from a subset of patients harboring preexisting LVDr/ETVr variants and with approximately half of the patients experiencing a virologic rebound.


2004 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 2199-2205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radhakrishnan P. Iyer ◽  
Yi Jin ◽  
Arlene Roland ◽  
John D. Morrey ◽  
Samir Mounir ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Several nucleoside analogs are under clinical development for use against hepatitis B virus (HBV). Lamivudine (3TC), a nucleoside analog, and adefovir dipivoxil (ADV), an acyclonucleotide analog, are clinically approved. However, long-term treatment can induce viral resistance, and following the cessation of therapy, viral rebound is frequently observed. There continues to be a need for new antiviral agents with novel mechanisms of action. A library of more than 600 di- and trinucleotide compounds synthesized by parallel synthesis using a combinatorial strategy was screened for potential inhibitors of HBV replication using the chronically HBV-producing cell line 2.2.15. Through an iterative process of synthesis, lead optimization, and screening, three analogs were identified as potent inhibitors of HBV replication: dinucleotides ORI-7246 (drug concentration at which a 10-fold reduction of HBV DNA was observed [EC90], 1.4 μM) and ORI-9020 (EC90, 1.2 μM) and trinucleotide ORI-7170 (EC90, 7.2 μM). These analogs inhibited the replication of both strands of HBV DNA. No suppression of HBV protein synthesis or intracellular core particle formation by these analogs was observed. No inhibition of HBV DNA strand elongation by the analogs or their 5′-triphosphate versions was apparent in in vitro polymerase assays. Although the exact mechanism of action is not yet identified, present data are consistent with an inhibition of the HBV reverse transcriptase-directed priming step prior to elongation of the first viral DNA strand. In transient-transfection assays, these analogs inhibited the replication of 3TC-resistant HBV. Synergistic interactions in combination treatments between the analogs and either 3TC or ADV were observed. These compounds represent a novel class of anti-HBV molecules and warrant further investigation as potential therapeutic agents.


1987 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 675-680 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M. Chang ◽  
K.S. Jeng ◽  
C.P. Hu ◽  
S.J. Lo ◽  
T.S. Su ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Kemal Fariz Kalista ◽  
Maryati Surya ◽  
Silmi Mariya ◽  
Diah Iskandriati ◽  
Irsan Hasan ◽  
...  

Background: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is still one of the biggest health problems in the world, which could lead to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Treatment for HBV infection has not yet achieved a functional cure. More studies are needed to investigate human HBV (HuHBV), but the scarcity of animal models for HuHBV infection became a barrier. Recently, many studies have shown that Tupaia are suitable for the study of HuHBV. The purpose of this study was to develop a primary tupaia hepatocyte (PTH) culture from T. javanica, a species of Tupaia found in Indonesia, and to prove that HuHBV can replicate in the PTH.Method: In vitro experimental study using PTH isolated from five wild adult T. javanica in Primate Research Center, IPB University. HuHBV was taken from humans with HBsAg and HBV-DNA (+). PTH cells then were infected with HuHBV after reaching 80% confluence. Observation on PTH cells was done everyday for 20 days. Qualitative and quantitative HBsAg were measured using a CMIA while HBV-DNA and cccDNA were measured by RT-PCR.Results: A cytopathic effect was seen on day post infection (DPI)-16. HBsAg and HBV-DNA were detected from DPI-2 until DPI-18, with HBV-DNA level peaked on DPI-12. cccDNA concentration was fluctuating from DPI-2 until DPI-20 with highest level on DPI-16.Conclusion: HuHBV could infect and replicate in PTH from T. javanica can be infected with HuHBV and HuHBV can replicate in the PTH from T. javanica.


1996 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 1180-1185 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Civitico ◽  
T Shaw ◽  
S Locarnini

Safe and effective treatments for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection have yet to be developed. Both ganciclovir (9-[1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxymethyl]guanine) and foscarnet (trisodium phosphonoformate hexahydrate) are potent inhibitors of hepadnavirus replication when used individually in vitro and in vivo. However, the clinical usefulness of each drug is reduced by dose-limiting toxicity, especially during long-term monotherapy. Here we demonstrate additive inhibition of duck HBV DNA replication in cultures of primary duck hepatocytes congenitally infected with duck HBV by combinations of ganciclovir and foscarnet at low, clinically achievable concentrations. These results suggest that the effects of ganciclovir and foscarnet against HBV may be additive in vivo.


2000 ◽  
Vol 74 (24) ◽  
pp. 11447-11455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianming Hu ◽  
Dana Anselmo

ABSTRACT Reverse transcription in hepatitis B viruses is initiated through a unique protein priming mechanism whereby the viral reverse transcriptase (RT) first assembles into a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex with its RNA template and then initiates DNA synthesis de novo using the RT itself as a protein primer. RNP formation and protein priming require the assistance of host cell factors, including the molecular chaperone heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90). To better understand the mechanism of RT activation by Hsp90, we have now mapped the minimal RT sequences of the duck hepatitis B virus that are required for chaperone binding, RNP formation, and protein priming. Furthermore, we have reconstituted in vitro both RNP formation and protein priming using purified RT proteins and host factors. Our results show that (i) Hsp90 recognizes two independent domains of the RT, both of which are necessary for RNP formation and protein priming; (ii) Hsp90 function is required not only to establish, but also to maintain, the RT in a state competent for RNA binding; and (iii) Hsp90 is not required during RT synthesis and can activate the RT posttranslationally. Based on these findings, we propose a model for Hsp90 function whereby the chaperone acts as an active interdomain bridge to bring the two RT domains into a poised but labile conformation competent for RNP formation. It is anticipated that the reconstitution system established here will facilitate the isolation of additional host factors required for RT functions and further elucidation of the mechanisms of RT activation.


2002 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 2525-2532 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Levine ◽  
D. Hernandez ◽  
G. Yamanaka ◽  
S. Zhang ◽  
R. Rose ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Entecavir (ETV) is a potent and selective inhibitor of hepatitis B virus (HBV) replication in vitro and in vivo that is currently in clinical trials for the treatment of chronic HBV infections. A major limitation of the current HBV antiviral therapy, lamivudine (3TC), is the emergence of drug-resistant HBV in a majority of treated patients due to specific mutations in the nucleotide binding site of HBV DNA polymerase (HBV Pol). To determine the effects of 3TC resistance mutations on inhibition by ETV triphosphate (ETV-TP), a series of in vitro studies were performed. The inhibition of wild-type and 3TC-resistant HBV Pol by ETV-TP was measured using recombinant HBV nucleocapsids, and compared to that of 3TC-TP. These enzyme inhibition studies demonstrated that ETV-TP is a highly potent inhibitor of wild-type HBV Pol and is 100- to 300-fold more potent than 3TC-TP against 3TC-resistant HBV Pol. Cell culture assays were used to gauge the potential for antiviral cross-resistance of 3TC-resistant mutants to ETV. Results demonstrated that ETV inhibited the replication of 3TC-resistant HBV, but 20- to 30-fold higher concentrations were required. To gain further perspective regarding the potential therapeutic use of ETV, its phosphorylation was examined in hepatoma cells treated with extracellular concentrations representative of drug levels in plasma in ETV-treated patients. At these concentrations, intracellular ETV-TP accumulated to levels expected to inhibit the enzyme activity of both wild-type and 3TC-resistant HBV Pol. These findings are predictive of potent antiviral activity of ETV against both wild-type and 3TC-resistant HBV.


2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Lomonosova ◽  
Adam Zlotnick ◽  
John E. Tavis

ABSTRACT Combination therapies are standard for management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections; however, no such therapies are established for human hepatitis B virus (HBV). Recently, we identified several promising inhibitors of HBV RNase H (here simply RNase H) activity that have significant activity against viral replication in vitro. Here, we investigated the in vitro antiviral efficacy of combinations of two RNase H inhibitors with the current anti-HBV drug nucleoside analog lamivudine, with HAP12, an experimental core protein allosteric modulator, and with each other. Anti-HBV activities of the compounds were tested in a HepG2-derived cell line by monitoring intracellular core particle DNA levels, and cytotoxicity was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium (MTS) assay. The antiviral efficiencies of the drug combinations were evaluated using the median-effect equation derived from the mass-action law principle and combination index theorem of Chou and Talalay. We found that combinations of two RNase H inhibitors from different chemical classes were synergistic with lamivudine against HBV DNA synthesis. Significant synergism was also observed for the combination of the two RNase H inhibitors. Combinations of RNase H inhibitors with HAP12 had additive antiviral effects. Enhanced cytotoxicity was not observed in the combination experiments. Because of these synergistic and additive effects, the antiviral activity of combinations of RNase H inhibitors with drugs that act by two different mechanisms and with each other can be achieved by administering the compounds in combination at doses below the respective single drug doses.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document