Application of CRISPR/Cas9 in Treating Hepatitis B Virus.
- Author:
Ju Yeon CHO
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords: Hepatitis B virus; circular DNA; CRISPR; Genome editing
- MeSH: Antiviral Agents; Base Sequence; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats; DNA; DNA, Circular; Fingers; Hepatitis B virus*; Hepatitis B*; Hepatitis B, Chronic; Hepatitis*; Incidence; Methods; Mortality; RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase
- From:Journal of Liver Cancer 2017;17(2):111-116
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: The advent of oral antiviral agents has revolutionized hepatitis B treatment. It has led to decreased incidence and mortality related to hepatocellular carcinoma. However, although nucleos(t)ide analogs (NA) are fast and potent in inhibiting hepatitis B virus (HBV) polymerase and reverse transcriptase activity, complete cure of the virus is not possible. The complete eradication of HBV requires the covalently-closed-circular DNA (cccDNA) to be eliminated. Novel gene editing methods, such as zing finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases, and the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system, designed to target specific DNA sequences has great potential for therapeutic application. Among these, the CRISPR/Cas9 system may be the most feasible approach to eradicate HBV cccDNA. Further studies are needed to develop a more efficient and safer method of delivery using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to achieve complete cure of chronic hepatitis B.
