Dr. Surapong Koonpaew
National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Thailand
Title of the talk: Enhancement of type-I interferon mediated antiviral responses delivered by influenza A virus-based vector
Abstract
An ability of many viruses to transfer their genetic information into host cells has been harnessed to deliver foreign genes into target cells/organism as either gene therapy or vaccine candidates. Recombinant viruses used in virus-based vector delivery system typically have their non-essential viral genes replaced with foreign genes of interest. We previously demonstrated that a reverse genetics-derived influenza A (FluA) virus carrying a reporter gene (mCherry) can strongly express this gene in infected cells as detected by western blot analysis as well as fluorescence microscope. Furthermore, this FluA-mCherry virus can be propagated for several passages in complementing cells, suggesting that the mCherry reporter gene is stably maintained. This study demonstrated the potential of utilizing a recombinant FluA virus-based vector in virus-based vector delivery system. Here, we employed FluA virus-based vector as a vehicle for delivering genes encoding proteins which are capable of triggering a broad spectrum antiviral immune responses in target cells via induction of type-I IFNs. To achieve this goal, we constructed the recombinant FluA virus vectors carrying porcine interferon regulatory factor 7/3(5D) (pIRF7/3(5D)) or esterase D (ESD), and used them to infect target cells to induce type-I IFN production. Increase in type-I IFN production, interferon stimulating gene (ISG) expression, and the antiviral effects of infected cells were assessed by type-I interferon bioassay, quantitative real-time PCR, and in vitro anti-viral infection. Our results showed that both FluA-IRF7/3(5D) and –ESD convey the target cells with enhanced type-I interferon mediated antiviral responses. Successful induction of antiviral effects via applications of our FluA virus-based vectors could pave the way for the use of virus-based vector delivery system as both bio-therapeutic agents and vaccine candidates against pathogenic viruses.
Biography
Surapong Koonpaew has completed his PhD in Immunology from Duke University, Durham NC, USA and Postdoctoral studies from Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC), University of Montreal, Montreal QC, Canada. He is currently a researcher/scientist at the Virology and Cell Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Thailand.
Publications: Researchgate.