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Development of a Hepatitis B Virus Reporter System to Monitor the Early Stages of the Replication Cycle
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Transbody against hepatitis B virus core protein inhibits hepatitis B virus replication in vitro

Yawen Wang1, Yiping Li2, Na Li3

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi, China.

International Immunopharmacology
|February 14, 2015
PubMed

Insights

A novel transbody targeting Hepatitis B virus core antigen (HBcAg) effectively inhibits viral replication. This cell-permeable antibody shows potent antiviral activity, offering a promising new therapeutic strategy for Hepatitis B infection.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Virology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a leading cause of chronic liver disease with limited therapeutic options.
  • The HBV core antigen (HBcAg) plays critical roles in the viral life cycle, making it a potential therapeutic target.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop and evaluate a novel transbody, a conjugate of a monoclonal antibody against HBcAg and a TAT protein transduction domain (TAT PTD).
  • To assess the efficacy of this HBcMAb-TAT PTD transbody in inhibiting HBV replication in vitro.

Main Methods:

  • Conjugation of a monoclonal antibody against HBcAg with TAT PTD to create a cell-penetrating transbody.
  • Evaluation of the transbody's recognition of HBcAg and its cell-penetrating activity in living cells.
  • Assessment of the transbody's effect on HBV replication markers (HBsAg, HBeAg, HBcAg, and HBV DNA) in HepG2.2.15 cells.

Main Results:

  • The HBcMAb-TAT PTD transbody demonstrated effective cell-penetrating ability.
  • The transbody significantly suppressed extracellular and intracellular HBV markers, including HBsAg, HBeAg, HBcAg, and HBV DNA.
  • Antiviral activity was observed in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusions:

  • The developed transbody is cell-permeable and exhibits potent anti-HBV replication activity.
  • This HBcAg-targeting, cell-permeable antibody represents a novel therapeutic approach for Hepatitis B infection.
  • Blocking HBcAg functions via this transbody strategy shows promise for controlling HBV.

Keywords:
AntiviralHepatitis B core antigenHepatitis B virusIn vitroTAT protein transduction domainTransbody

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