Sirtuins as Potential Therapeutic Targets for Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Fanyun Kong; Qi Li; Fulong Zhang; Xiaocui Li; Hongjuan You; Xiucheng Pan; Kuiyang Zheng; Renxian Tang

doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.751516

Sirtuins as Potential Therapeutic Targets for Hepatitis B Virus Infection

Front Med (Lausanne). 2021 Oct 11:8:751516. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2021.751516. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Fanyun Kong¹, Qi Li^{1

2}, Fulong Zhang³, Xiaocui Li¹, Hongjuan You¹, Xiucheng Pan⁴, Kuiyang Zheng^{1

5}, Renxian Tang^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Immunity and Metabolism, Department of Pathogenic Biology and Immunology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
² Laboratory Department, The People's Hospital of Funing, Yancheng, China.
³ Imaging Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University, Taian, China.
⁴ Department of Infectious Diseases, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.
⁵ National Demonstration Center for Experimental Basic Medical Sciences Education, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China.

Abstract

Sirtuins (SIRTs) are well-known histone deacetylases that are capable of modulating various cellular processes in numerous diseases, including the infection of hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is one of the primary pathogenic drivers of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Mounting evidence reveals that HBV can alter the expression levels of all SIRT proteins. In turn, all SIRTs regulate HBV replication via a cascade of molecular mechanisms. Furthermore, several studies suggest that targeting SIRTs using suitable drugs is a potential treatment strategy for HBV infection. Here, we discuss the molecular mechanisms associated with SIRT-mediated upregulation of viral propagation and the recent advances in SIRT-targeted therapy as potential therapeutic modalities against HBV infection.

Keywords: HBV infection; HBx; molecular mechanisms; sirtuins; therapy.

Publication types

Review