Intracellular-delivery of a single-chain antibody against hepatitis B core protein via cell-penetrating peptide inhibits hepatitis B virus replication in vitro

Int J Mol Med. 2013 Feb;31(2):369-76. doi: 10.3892/ijmm.2012.1210. Epub 2012 Dec 12.

Abstract

Assembly of nucleocapsids is an attractive target for novel anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) agents, and intracellular single-chain variable fragment (scFv) antibodies against HBV core (HBc) protein are a class of potential alternatives for this purpose; however, their application is limited by the lack of a suitable means of delivery. Owing to the favorable performance of cytoplasmic transduction peptide (CTP) in cargo delivery in hepatocytes, we purified an anti-HBc scFv fused to CTP using a previous screened sequence by a prokaryotic expression system and evaluated its efficacy in the inhibition of HBV in vitro. Our results showed that cytoplasmic translocation of the previous anti-HBc scFv was achieved by CTP in HepG2.2.15 cells. Immunoprecipitation analysis indicated the fusion protein anti-HBc scFv-CTP interacted with its target antigen HBc, and negligible cytotoxicity was observed. Moreover, the anti-HBc scFv-CTP interfered with nucleocapsid assembly and markedly reduced both the supernatant HBV DNA level and the intracellular DNA replication intermediates, with a 5.1 µM of half maximal effect concentration and a dose-dependent effect. In conclusion, this novel anti-HBc scFv fused to CTP demonstrated inhibitory activity of HBV replication in vitro and warrants further in vivo study.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antiviral Agents / metabolism
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacokinetics
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides / administration & dosage*
  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides / genetics
  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides / pharmacokinetics
  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides / pharmacology
  • Hep G2 Cells
  • Hepatitis B / drug therapy*
  • Hepatitis B / virology
  • Hepatitis B Antibodies / administration & dosage*
  • Hepatitis B Antibodies / pharmacology
  • Hepatitis B Core Antigens / immunology*
  • Hepatitis B virus / drug effects*
  • Hepatitis B virus / immunology
  • Hepatitis B virus / physiology
  • Humans
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / administration & dosage
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacokinetics
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / pharmacology
  • Single-Chain Antibodies / administration & dosage*
  • Single-Chain Antibodies / genetics
  • Single-Chain Antibodies / pharmacokinetics
  • Single-Chain Antibodies / pharmacology
  • Virus Replication / drug effects

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Cell-Penetrating Peptides
  • Hepatitis B Antibodies
  • Hepatitis B Core Antigens
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Single-Chain Antibodies