Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

For evaluation of anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) drugs, we have employed the HBV transgenic mouse in which virion-like particles can be assayed in the serum. Bispivaloyloxymethyl-9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)-adenine [bis (POM) PMEA] 100 mg/kg/day, 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine [(+-)-BCH189] 200 mg/kg/day and a placebo were orally administered to mice twice a day for 14 days. Anti-viral effects were monitored by checking the levels of serum HBV DNA by the semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction, HBsAg and HBeAg by enzyme immunoassay, and replicative intermediates in the liver by Southern blotting. As expected, decrease from the 10(0.5) to 10(3) copies of HBV DNA per microl of sera detected before the treatment to the undetectable level was evident for all five animals treated with bis(POM) PMEA 100 mg/kg/day. However (+-)-BCH189 200 mg/kg/day, which is known to act as the inhibitor of reverse transcriptase for HBV or HIV in vivo and in vitro, did not suppress HBV DNA levels in the transgenic mouse. Thus, we were able to detect the effects of anti-HBV drugs semi-quantitatively, and confirm differences in drug efficacy.
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PMID:Evaluation of anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) drugs using the HBV transgenic mouse: application of the semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for serum HBV DNA to monitor the drug efficacy. 940 31

Eleven compounds have now been licensed for the treatment of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infections: the nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) zidovudine (ZDV, AZT), didanosine (DDI), zalcitabine (DDC), stavudine (D4T) and lamivudine (3TC), the nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) nevirapine and delavirdine, and the protease inhibitors saquinavir, ritonavir, indinavir and nelfinavir. Several other compounds that interact with the reverse transcriptase or protease or other targets of the viral replication cycle are in clinical or preclinical development. High expectations are vested in the acyclic nucleoside phosphonates PMEA and PMPA (which have proved clearly efficacious against HIV infections in phase II/III and phase I/II trials, respectively) and the bicyclam derivatives, which have recently been shown to block HIV infection through interference with the viral co-receptor CXCR4 (fusin). It has become increasingly clear that only the concomitant use of several anti-HIV agents combined can completely suppress HIV replication and offer the potential for a complete cure. To this end, the different compounds should be administered from the start at sufficiently high doses, and treatment should be started as soon as possible after the infection. Under these conditions, HIV-drug resistance development could be prevented, and progression to AIDS, arrested. Whether this procedure would also be able to eradicate the virus from the organism still needs to be proven.
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PMID:New perspectives for the treatment of HIV infections. 964 21

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the leading cause of chronic hepatitis throughout the world. Notwithstanding the availability of a safe and effective vaccine, the world prevalence of HBV has not declined significantly, thus resulting in the need for a selective antiviral agent. HBV is a small, partially double-stranded DNA virus which replicates through an RNA intermediate. Most efforts to develop anti-HBV agents have been targeted to the viral DNA polymerase which possesses reverse transcriptase activity. Currently, the most promising anti-HBV agents are nucleoside analogs which interfere with viral DNA replication. Although earlier nucleoside analogs such as vidarabine (ara-A) and fialuridine (FIAU) have displayed unacceptable toxicities, newer analogs such as lamivudine (3TC), bis-POM PMEA (GS-840), lobucavir, and BMS-200,475 have demonstrated clinical utility. In particular, the use of lamivudine has generated considerable interest in the development of other L-enantiomeric nucleoside analogs for use against HBV. Here, we provide an overview of HBV structure and replication strategy and discuss the use of cell culture systems, in vitro viral polymerase systems, and animal models to identify and evaluate anti-HBV agents. We also discuss the various classes of nucleoside analogs in terms of structure, mechanism of action, status in clinical development, ability to select for resistant HBV variants, and use in combination therapies. Finally, we present a discussion of novel antiviral approaches, including antisense and gene therapy, and address the various challenges to successful anti-HBV chemotherapeutic intervention.
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PMID:The identification and development of antiviral agents for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection. 967 Jul 81

Adefovir dipivoxil [9-(2-(bispivaloyloxymethyl)phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (bis-POM PMEA)], an oral prodrug of adefovir (PMEA), is currently in phase III clinical testing for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection. Previous in vitro experiments have shown that HIV-1 recombinant viruses expressing either a K65R or a K70E mutation in reverse transcriptase (RT) have reduced sensitivity to PMEA and that the K70E mutant also has impaired replication capacity in vitro. Genotypic analyses of samples from patients enrolled in a phase I/II clinical trial of adefovir dipivoxil demonstrated that the K70E RT mutation developed in two of 29 patients during extended therapy. To further investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in the resistance to PMEA, we cloned, expressed, and purified HIV-1 RT enzymes carrying either the K65R or K70E and, for comparison, the M184V mutation. The Km values of dNTPs for these mutant enzymes were not significantly altered from wild-type RT. The Ki values for the K65R mutant were increased from wild-type by 2-5-fold against a variety of inhibitors, whereas the Ki values for the M184V mutant were increased 12-fold specifically for 2', 3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC) triphosphate. The Ki values for the K70E mutant were increased for PMEA diphosphate and 3TC triphosphate by 2-3-fold. These results are in agreement with antiviral drug susceptibility assay results. The three recombinant enzymes were also evaluated for their specific activities and processivities. All mutants were reduced in specific activity with respect to wild-type RT. In single-cycle processivity studies, the M184V mutant was, as expected, notably impaired. The K70E mutant was also slightly impaired, whereas the K65R mutant was slightly more processive than wild-type. These results with recombinant K70E RT are consistent with the reduced in vitro replication capacity of the K70E RT mutant of HIV-1 and further demonstrate that the K70E mutation confers minor PMEA and 3TC resistance to HIV-1.
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PMID:Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase expressing the K70E mutation exhibits a decrease in specific activity and processivity. 968 70

Nucleoside and nucleotide analogues, which are inhibitors of human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase, are highly active inhibitors of visna virus replication in cell cultures. One such analogue, the acyclic nucleoside phosphonate PMEA, has also been found to have a prophylactic effect on visna virus infection in lambs. In the present study, lambs were injected subcutaneously with 10 mg/kg PMEA three times a week starting 4 weeks after inoculation with visna virus, when brain infection had been established. After 3 weeks of treatment there was a reduction in the amount of virus isolated from blood cells of PMEA-treated lambs compared to controls and during the remaining 7 months of drug treatment there was significantly less virus isolated from the blood cells of treated lambs than of controls. Antibody response against visna virus was also slower in the treated than in the untreated control group. On the other hand, there was no difference in the amount of virus isolated from various organs of the two groups and the severity of CNS lesions in sheep treated with PMEA for 8 months was comparable to that found in untreated controls, even though PMEA reached concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid which were well in excess of the EC50 value of the drug for visna virus.
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PMID:Treatment of visna virus infection in lambs with the acyclic nucleoside phosphonate analogue 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (PMEA). 987 3

Intracellular delivery of novel macromolecular drugs against human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1), including antisense oligodeoxynucleotides, ribozymes and therapeutic genes, may be achieved by encapsulation in or association with certain types of liposomes. Liposomes may also protect these drugs against nucleases. Low-molecular-weight, charged antiviral drugs may also be delivered more efficiently via liposomes. Liposomes were targeted to HIV-1-infected cells via covalently coupled soluble CD4. An HIV-1 protease inhibitor encapsulated in conventional negatively charged multilamellar liposomes was about 10-fold more effective and had a lower EC90 than the free drug in inhibiting HIV-1 production in human monocyte-derived macrophages. The drug encapsulated in sterically stabilized liposomes was as effective as the free drug. The EC50 of the reverse transcriptase inhibitor 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (PMEA) was reduced by an order of magnitude when delivered to HIV-1-infected macrophages in pH-sensitive liposomes. A 15-mer antisense oligodeoxynucleotide against the Rev response element was ineffective in free form against HIV-1 replication in macrophages, while delivery of the oligonucleotide in pH-sensitive liposomes inhibited virus replication. The oligodeoxynucleotide encapsulated in sterically stabilized pH-sensitive liposomes with prolonged circulation in vivo, which were recently developed in the laboratories of the authors, was also highly effective. A ribozyme complementary to HIV-1 5'-LTR delivered in pH-sensitive liposomes inhibited virus production by 90%, while the free ribozyme caused only a slight inhibition. Cationic liposome-mediated co-transfection of the HIV-regulated diphtheria toxin A fragment gene and a proviral HIV clone into HeLa cells completely inhibited virus production, while the frame-shifted mutant gene was ineffective. Co-transfection of the proviral genome and a gene encoding a Rev-binding aptamer into HeLa cells via transferrin-associated cationic liposomes inhibited virus production. These studies indicate that liposomes can be used to facilitate the intracellular delivery of certain anti-HIV agents and to enhance their therapeutic effects. These properties may be particularly advantageous in the development of novel macromolecular drugs, which may be necessary because of the emergence of virus strains resistant to the currently available drugs.
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PMID:Liposome-mediated delivery of antiviral agents to human immunodeficiency virus-infected cells. 1033 45

In addition to its inhibitory activity against viral DNA polymerases and reverse transcriptase, the acyclic nucleoside phosphonate 9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine (PMEA) also markedly inhibits the replicative cellular DNA polymerases alpha, delta, and epsilon. We have previously shown that PMEA is a strong inducer of differentiation in several in vitro tumor cell models and has marked antitumor potential in vivo. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of the differentiation-inducing activity of PMEA, we have now investigated the effects of the drug on cell proliferation and differentiation, cell cycle regulation, and oncogene expression in the human erythroleukemia K562 cell line. Terminal, irreversible erythroid differentiation of PMEA-treated K562 cells was evidenced by hemoglobin production, increased expression of glycophorin A on the K562 cell membrane, and induction of acetylcholinesterase activity. After exposure to PMEA, K562 cell cultures displayed a marked retardation of S-phase progression, leading to a severe perturbation of the normal cell cycle distribution pattern. Whereas no substantial changes in c-myc mRNA levels and p21, PCNA, cdc2, and CDK2 protein levels were noted in PMEA-treated K562 cells, there was a marked accumulation of cyclin A and, most strikingly, cyclins E and B1. A similar picture of cell cycle deregulation was also observed in PMEA-exposed human myeloid THP-1 cells. However, in contrast to the strong differentiation-inducing activity of PMEA in K562 cells, the drug completely failed to induce monocytic maturation of human myeloid THP-1 cells. On the contrary, THP-1 cells underwent apoptotic cell death in the presence of PMEA, as demonstrated by prelytic, intracellular DNA fragmentation and the binding of annexin V to the cell surface. We hypothesize that, depending on the nature of the tumor cell line, PMEA triggers a process of either differentiation or apoptosis by the uncoupling of normally integrated cell cycle processes through inhibition of DNA replication during the S phase.
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PMID:9-(2-Phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine induces tumor cell differentiation or cell death by blocking cell cycle progression through the S phase. 1039 5

Dideoxynucleosides, which are potent inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase and other viral DNA polymerases, are a common component of highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) (ref. 1). Six reverse transcriptase inhibitors have been approved for human use: azidothymidine; 2'3'-dideoxycytidine; 2'3'-dideoxyinosine; 2', 3'-didehydro-3'deoxythymidine; 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine; and 4-[2-amino-6-(cyclopropylamino)-9H-purin-9-yl]-2-cyclopentene-1-++ +metha nol. Although drug-resistant HIV strains resulting from genetic mutation have emerged in patients treated with HAART (ref. 1), some patients show signs of drug resistance in the absence of drug-resistant viruses. In our study of alternative or additional mechanisms of resistance operating during antiviral therapy, overexpression and amplification of the MRP4 gene correlated with ATP-dependent efflux of PMEA (9-(2-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine) and azidothymidine monophosphate from cells and, thus, with resistance to these drugs. Overexpression of MRP4 mRNA and MRP4 protein severely impaired the antiviral efficacy of PMEA, azidothymidine and other nucleoside analogs. Increased resistance to PMEA and amplification of the MRP4 gene correlated with enhanced drug efflux; transfer of chromosome 13 containing the amplified MRP4 gene conferred resistance to PMEA. MRP4 is the first transporter, to our knowledge, directly linked to the efflux of nucleoside monophosphate analogs from mammalian cells.
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PMID:MRP4: A previously unidentified factor in resistance to nucleoside-based antiviral drugs. 1047 83

Adefovir dipivoxil is an ester prodrug of the nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor adefovir (PMEA), the prototype compound of the acyclic nucleoside phosphonates. It has better oral bioavailability than the parent compound. Adefovir dipivoxil 120mg once daily significantly reduced viral load compared with placebo when added to standard antiretroviral therapy in a 6-month, double-blind study in patients with HIV infection. Viral suppression was maintained during an additional 6-month nonblind extension phase. The drug was most effective in patients with baseline isolates containing the M184V lamivudine resistance mutation according to data from a virological substudy of a large placebo-controlled trial. Adefovir dipivoxil 60mg was as effective as 120mg (both once daily) after 20 weeks' treatment in a randomised double-blind study in antiretroviral-experienced (protease inhibitor-naive) patients. Viral suppression was generally maintained in patients who developed new reverse transcriptase mutations during adefovir dipivoxil monotherapy or combination therapy for up to 12 months. No clear pattern of particular clinical resistance mutations has emerged. GI disturbances, hepatic effects and delayed renal abnormalities are the principal adverse events seen with adefovir dipivoxil. Reductions in serum free carnitine levels may occur and coadministration of L-carnitine is recommended.
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PMID:Adefovir dipivoxil. 1049 75

We report that simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection in macaques is a valuable animal model for studying post-exposure chemoprophylaxis (PECP). PECP with the acyclic nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors 9-(2-phosphonylmetho-xyethyl)adenine (PMEA) and (R)-9-(2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine (PMPA) at early viral infection can provide long-term protection against subsequent heterologous SIV challenge. Eight macaques previously treated with PECP (called PECP macaques) and four naive controls were challenged intravenously with the most virulent form of SIV, SIV(PBj14). All controls showed signs of SIV(PBj14)-induced acute disease syndrome on days 6 and 7 post-inoculation (PI). One had a fatal viral infection and two surviving controls had persistent infection and decreased CD4+ cell count. Virologic studies of the three surviving controls revealed SIV in multiple lymphoid tissues and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) at necropsy. In contrast, the PECP macaques showed none to mild signs of acute disease syndrome at day 9 PI and exhibited only transient SIV infection in PBMCs between weeks 1 and 8 PI. In virologic studies of five PECP macaques necropsied, two macaques were SIV-negative and the other three were SIV-positive only in either lymph node or bone marrow. Three SIV(PBj14)-challenged PECP macaques, that were randomly reserved for a follow-up study for > 4.0 years PI showed extremely low to undetectable levels of PBMC-associated viremia and normal to increased levels of CD4 + and CD8 + cell counts throughout the study. Our results indicate that early PECP could activate immune responses to protect against subsequent infection with heterologous challenge virus.
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PMID:Post-exposure chemoprophylaxis (PECP) against SIV infection of macaques as a model for protection from HIV infection. 1108 87


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