Development of a CRISPR-Cas13-based antiviral strategy against hepatitis E virus

Effective antiviral drugs remain unavailable for many clinically relevant pathogens, including the hepatitis E virus (HEV). This study aimed to evaluate the CRISPR/Cas13d system as a potential antiviral strategy against HEV.

We developed a reporter assay to screen CRISPR RNAs (crRNAs) targeting conserved regions of the HEV genome and tested their antiviral activity in human hepatoma cells using a robust HEV cell culture model. HEV replication was assessed using a subgenomic replicon, infectious particle production was quantified by immunofluorescence and titration assays. A bioinformatic analysis was performed to identify a minimal set of crRNAs capable of broadly targeting circulating human pathogenic HEV strains.

A crRNA screen identified multiple functional crRNAs targeting HEV-3, with ORF1-targeting crRNAs significantly reducing viral capsid expression (p <0.01) and the number of HEV-infected cells (p <0.01). Cas13d-mediated targeting led to robust reduction of HEV replication and markedly lowered infectious virus production in vitro (p <0.001). Bioinformatic analysis revealed that just three distinct crRNAs could cover ∼94% of known HEV genomes with zero mismatches, while four crRNAs achieved complete coverage.

Our findings demonstrate that CRISPR/Cas13d can target HEV replication and viral progeny production in vitro. The identification of a minimal crRNA set capable of broadly targeting circulating HEV strains suggests that the CRISPR/Cas13d system may offer an antiviral strategy to address challenges related to viral evolution and treatment escape.

This study establishes CRISPR/Cas13d as a proof-of-concept antiviral strategy against hepatitis E virus (HEV), demonstrating suppression of viral replication and particle production in vitro. By identifying a minimal set of broadly effective crRNAs, we provide a framework for targeting diverse HEV variants and buffering against viral evolution. These findings highlight the potential of CRISPR-based systems as innovative antiviral strategies.