Use of a prenylation inhibitor as a novel antiviral agent

JS Glenn, JC Marsters Jr, HB Greenberg - Journal of virology, 1998 - Am Soc Microbiol
JS Glenn, JC Marsters Jr, HB Greenberg
Journal of virology, 1998Am Soc Microbiol
No specific therapy exists for hepatitis delta virus (HDV), which can cause severe liver
disease. Molecular genetic studies have implicated the prenylation site of large delta
antigen as a critical determinant of HDV particle assembly. We have established a cell
culture model which produces HDV-like particles, and we show that delta antigen
prenylation can be pharmacologically inhibited by the prenylation inhibitor BZA-5B.
Furthermore, BZA-5B specifically abolishes particle production in a dose-dependent …
Abstract
No specific therapy exists for hepatitis delta virus (HDV), which can cause severe liver disease. Molecular genetic studies have implicated the prenylation site of large delta antigen as a critical determinant of HDV particle assembly. We have established a cell culture model which produces HDV-like particles, and we show that delta antigen prenylation can be pharmacologically inhibited by the prenylation inhibitor BZA-5B. Furthermore, BZA-5B specifically abolishes particle production in a dose-dependent manner. These results demonstrate that the use of such a prenylation inhibitor-based antiviral therapy may be feasible and identify a novel class of potential antiviral agents.
American Society for Microbiology