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Abstract Details
Nanoparticles encapsulating HBV-CpG induce therapeutic immunity against hepatitis B virus infection
Lv S, Wang J, Dou S, Yang X, Ni X, Sun R, Tian Z, Wei H. Hepatology. 2013 Aug 1. doi: 10.1002/hep.26654. [Epub ahead of print]
Source
Institute of Immunology, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China; Department of Microbiology, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
Abstract
Infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most common cause of liver disease worldwide. However, because the current interferon (IFN)-based treatments have toxic side effects and marginal efficacy, improved antivirals are essential. Here, we report that unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanosine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) from the HBV genome (HBV-CpG) induced robust expression of IFN-α by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) in a TLR9-dependent manner. We also identified inhibitory guanosine-rich ODNs in the HBV genome (HBV-ODN) that are capable of inhibiting HBV-CpG-induced IFN-α production. Furthermore, nanoparticles containing HBV-CpG, termed NP(HBV-CpG), reversed the HBV-ODN-mediated suppression of IFN-α production and also exerted a strong immunostimulatory effect on lymphocytes. Our results suggest that NP(HBV-CpG) can enhance the immune response to HBsAg and skew this response toward the Th1 pathway in mice immunized with rHBsAg and NP(HBV-CpG). Moreover, NP(HBV-CpG)-based therapy led to the efficient clearance of HBV and induced an anti-HBsAg response in HBV carrier mice. Conclusion: We propose that endogenous HBV-CpG ODNs from the HBV genome induce IFN-α production and that nanoparticle-encapsulated HBV-CpG may act as an HBsAg vaccine adjuvant and may also represent a potent therapeutic agent for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.