Nature Medicine11, 56 - 62 (2004)
Published online: 26 December 2004; | doi:10.1038/nm1174
There is an Erratum (February 2005) associated with this Article.
Inhibition of respiratory syncytial virus infection with intranasal siRNA nanoparticles targeting the viral NS1 gene
Weidong Zhang1, 2, Hong Yang2, Xiaoyuan Kong1, 2, Subhra Mohapatra3, Homero San Juan-Vergara2, Gary Hellermann1, 2, Sumita Behera4, Rajeswari Singam4, Richard F Lockey1, 2
& Shyam S Mohapatra1, 2
1
Division of Allergy and Immunology−Joy McCann Culverhouse Airway Disease Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of South Florida, MDC-19-Rm 2536, 12901 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA.
2
James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, 13000 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA.
3
Department of Interdisciplinary Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA.
4
TransGenex Nanobiotech Inc., UTC-II, 3650 Spectrum Boulevard, Suite 170, Tampa, Florida 33612, USA.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is one of the major causes of respiratory tract infection for which no vaccine or antiviral treatment is available. The RSV NS1 protein seems to antagonize the host interferon (IFN) response; however, its mechanism is unknown. Here, we used a plasmid-borne small interfering RNA targeting the NS1 gene (siNS1) to examine the role of NS1 in modulating RSV infection. RSV replication was reduced in A549 cells, but not IFN−deficient Vero cells, transfected with siNS1. siNS1 induced upregulated expression of IFN- and IFN-inducible genes in A549 cells. siNS1-transfected human dendritic cells, upon RSV infection, produced elevated type-1 IFN and induced differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells to T helper type 1 (TH1) cells. Mice treated intranasally with siNS1 nanoparticles before or after infection with RSV showed substantially decreased virus titers in the lung and decreased inflammation and airway reactivity compared to controls. Thus, siNS1 nanoparticles may provide an effective inhibition of RSV infection in humans.
MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS
These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.
and IFN-inducible genes in A549 cells. siNS1-transfected human dendritic cells, upon RSV infection, produced elevated type-1 IFN and induced differentiation of naive CD4+ T cells to T helper type 1 (TH1) cells. Mice treated intranasally with siNS1 nanoparticles before or after infection with RSV showed substantially decreased virus titers in the lung and decreased inflammation and airway reactivity compared to controls. Thus, siNS1 nanoparticles may provide an effective inhibition of RSV infection in humans.
