347 results about "Flavivirus" patented technology

The present invention provides novel compounds represented by formula I: or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof useful for treating flaviviridae viral infection.

The instant invention provides stable and novel lineage I WNV reverse genetics systems, and methods for making the reverse genetics systems, specifically, a fully-infectious lineage I WNV cDNA or replicon system engineered with one or more nucleotide sequences each encoding a reporter gene to be used in high throughput cell-based screening assays for the identification of novel antiflaviviral chemotherapeutics and / or vaccines effective to treat and / or immunize against infections by WNV and other emerging flaviviruses, such as, for example, JEV, SLEV, AV, KV, JV, CV, YV, TBEV, DENV-1, DENV-2, DENV-3, DENV-4, YFV and MVEV. The present invention further provides methods of high throughput screening of antiflaviviral compounds or improved derivatives thereof using novel lineage I WNV reverse genetics systems and / or cell lines stably containing the reverse genetics systems. Also, the invention provides novel pharmaceutical compositions comprising an attenuated lineage I WNV that is less virulent but similarly immunogenic as the parent WNV and is capable of providing a protective immune response in a host.

2′ and 3′-Prodrugs of 1′, 2′, 3′ or 4′-branched β-D or β-L nucleosides, or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts and derivatives are described, which are useful in the prevention and treatment of Flaviviridae infections and other related conditions. These modified nucleosides provide superior results against flaviviruses and pestiviruses, including hepatitis C virus and viruses generally that replicate through an RNA dependent RNA reverse transcriptase. Compounds, compositions, methods and uses are provided for the treatment of Flaviviridae infection, including HCV infection, that include the administration of an effective amount of the prodrugs of the present invention, or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts or derivatives. These drugs may optionally be administered in combination or alteration with further anti-viral agents to prevent or treat Flaviviridae infections and other related conditions.

2′ and 3′-Prodrugs of 1′, 2′, 3′ or 4′-branched β-D or β-L nucleosides, or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts and derivatives are described, which are useful in the prevention and treatment of Flaviviridae infections and other related conditions. These modified nucleosides provide superior results against flaviviruses and pestiviruses, including hepatitis C virus and viruses generally that replicate through an RNA dependent RNA reverse transcriptase. Compounds, compositions, methods and uses are provided for the treatment of Flaviviridae infection, including HCV infection, that include the administration of an effective amount of the prodrugs of the present invention, or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts or derivatives. These drugs may optionally be administered in combination or alteration with further anti-viral agents to prevent or treat Flaviviridae infections and other related conditions.

The 3′-L-valine ester of β-D-2′-C-methyl-ribofuranosyl cytidine provides superior results against flaviviruses and pestiviruses, including hepatitis C virus. Based on this discovery, compounds, compositions, methods and uses are provided for the treatment of flaviviridae, including HCV, that include the administration of an effective amount of val-mCyd or its salt, ester, prodrug or derivative, optionally in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. In an alternative embodiment, val-mCyd is used to treat any virus that replicates through an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

This invention is directed to a method for treating a host, especially a human, infected with hepatitis C, flavivirus and / or pestivirus, comprising administering to that host an effective amount of an anti-HCV biologically active pentofuranonucleoside where the pentofuranonucleoside base is an optionally substituted 2-azapurine. The optionally substituted pentofuranonucleoside, or a salt or prodrug thereof, may be administered alone or in combination with one or more optionally substituted pentofuranonucleosides or other anti-viral agents.

The disclosed invention is a composition for and a method of treating Flaviviridae (Hepacivirus, Flavivirus, Pestivirus) infections, including BVDV and HCV, in a host, including animals, and especially humans, using a small molecule or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug.

The embodiments provide compounds of the general formulas I-XIX, as well as compositions, including pharmaceutical compositions, comprising a subject compound. The embodiments further provide treatment methods, including methods of treating flaviviral infection, including hepatitis C virus infection and methods of treating liver fibrosis, the methods generally involving administering to an individual in need thereof an effective amount of a subject compound or composition.

The present invention provides novel compounds represented by formula I: or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof useful for treating Flaviviridae viral infection.

Chimeric flaviviruses that are avirulent and immunogenic are provided. The chimeric viruses are constructed to contain amino acid mutations in the nonstructural proteins of a flavivirus. Chimeric viruses containing the attenuation-mutated nonstructural genes of the virus are used as a backbone into which the structural protein genes of a second flavivirus strain are inserted. These chimeric viruses elicit pronounced immunogenicity yet lack the accompanying clinical symptoms of viral disease. The attenuated chimeric viruses are effective as immunogens or vaccines and may be combined in a pharmaceutical composition to confer simultaneous immunity against several strains of pathogenic flaviviruses.

The present invention provides a rapid and sensitive method for the detection of a West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and Dengue virus (DENV) and antibodies directed against thereof involving contacting a biological specimen suspected of being infected with WNV, JE, SLE or DEN with a substantially purified and isolated WNV E glycoprotein or subfragment thereof having a native conformation wherein the E glycoprotein or subfragment thereof has a reactivity with antibodies against WNV and a cross-reactivity with antibodies against JEV, SLEV and DENV. The instant invention further provides a rapid, sensitive, and consistent method for the specific detection of WNV by employing diagnostic assays having the antigen NS5 which is specifically reactive with anti-WNV antibodies but not cross-reactive with antibodies against other flaviviruses such as JEV, SLEV, or DENV. The present invention also provides a rapid, sensitive, and consistent method for the specific detection of DENV by employing diagnostic assays having the antigen NS5 which is specifically reactive with anti-DENV antibodies but do not cross-react with antibodies against other flaviviruses such as JEV, SLEV, or WNV. Further, the DENV NS5 antigens are serospecific and do not cross react with antibodies to other DENV strains. Thus, the method of the present invention provides a manner by which to discriminate infections by each DENV strain. Further, diagnostic kits for carrying out the methods are provided. The methods and kits for carrying out the methods of the invention are rapid and require as little as 10 minutes to detect a result.

Compounds represented by formula:wherein X, Y and Z are as defined herein, pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and related compounds, are suitable for use in treating or preventing a Flaviviridae viral infection in a host.

This invention is directed to a method for treating a host, especially a human, infected with hepatitis C, flavivirus and / or pestivirus, comprising administering to that host an effective amount of an anti-HCV biologically active pentofuranonucleoside where the pentofuranonucleoside base is an optionally substituted 2-azapurine. The optionally substituted pentofuranonucleoside, or a salt or prodrug thereof, may be administered alone or in combination with one or more optionally substituted pentofuranonucleosides or other anti-viral agents.

The invention provides attenuated flavivirus vaccines and methods of making and using these vaccines.

The invention includes a chimeric virus for use in a vaccine preparation having a genome comprising nucleic acid sequences encoding at least one structural protein from one flavivirus and nucleic acid sequences encoding nonstructural protein from another flavivirus. The genome preferably includes mutations within the viral genome that reduce virus virulence and in a particularly preferred embodiment these vaccines are directed to flaviviruses such as dengue virus, tick-borne encephalitis virus and Japanese encephalitis virus. The invention also includes a baculovirus having a recombinant dengue cDNA sequence which encodes: (1) dengue virus capsid protein, pre-matrix protein, envelope glycoprotein and NS1 and NS2a nonstructural proteins or (2) dengue envelope glycoprotein or (3) dengue non-structural proteins NS1 and NS2a. The invention further includes a baculovirus having a recombinant Japanese B encephalitis virus cDNA sequence which encodes the Japanese B encephalitis virus capsid protein, pre-matrix protein, envelope glycoprotein and non-structural proteins NS1 and NS2a. The invention further includes a vaccine and a method to produce that vaccine.

The present invention provides a rapid and sensitive method for the detection of a West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) and Dengue virus (DENV) and antibodies directed against thereof involving contacting a biological specimen suspected of being infected with WNV, JE, SLE or DEN with a substantially purified and isolated WNV E glycoprotein or subfragment thereof having a native conformation wherein the E glycoprotein or subfragment thereof has a reactivity with antibodies against WNV and a cross-reactivity with antibodies against JEV, SLEV and DENV. The instant invention further provides a rapid, sensitive, and consistent method for the specific detection of WNV by employing diagnostic assays having the antigen NS5 which is specifically reactive with anti-WNV antibodies but not cross-reactive with antibodies against other flaviviruses such as JEV, SLEV, or DENV. The present invention also provides a rapid, sensitive, and consistent method for the specific detection of DENV by employing diagnostic assays having the antigen NS5 which is specifically reactive with anti-DENV antibodies but do not cross-react with antibodies against other flaviviruses such as JEV, SLEV, or WNV. Further, the DENV NS5 antigens are serospecific and do not cross react with antibodies to other DENV strains. Thus, the method of the present invention provides a manner by which to discriminate infections by each DENV strain. Further, diagnostic kits for carrying out the methods are provided. The methods and kits for carrying out the methods of the invention are rapid and require as little as 10 minutes to detect a result. The invention also provides monoclonal antibodies against WNV NS5 and DENV NS5 antigen and their use in detecting WNV and DENV infections in a biological sample.

Flavivirus, rhabdovirus and paramyxovirus infections may be treated by administering an inhibitor of the enzyme dihydroorotate dehydrogenase such as 6-fluoro-2-(2′-fluoro-1,1′-biphenyl-4-yl)-3-methyl-4-quinolinearcarboxylic acid sodium salt (Brequinar). A synergistic effect can be obtained if an interferon such as interferon α2, interferon α8 or interferon β, or an inhibitor of a second enzyme selected from inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase, guanosine monophosphate synthetase, cytidine triphosphate synthetase and S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase, is also administered.

A method of inhibiting replication of a flavivirus in animal cells, and an oligonucleotide compound for use in the method are disclosed. The oligonucleotide analog (i) has a nuclease-resistant backbone, (ii) is capable of uptake by the cells, (iii) contains between 8-40 nucleotide bases, and (iv) has a sequence of at least 8 bases complementary to a region of the virus' positive strand RNA genome that includes at least a portion of SEQ ID NOS:1-4. Exposure of cells infected with a flavivirus to the analog is effective to form within the cells, a heteroduplex structure composed of the virus ssRNA and the oligonucleotide, characterized by a Tm of dissociation of at least 45 ° C., and having disrupted base pairing between the virus' 5′ and 3′ cyclization sequences.

The present invention encompasses isolated nucleic acids containing transcriptional units which encode a signal sequence of one flavivirus and an immunogenic flavivirus antigen of a second flavivirus. The invention further encompasses a nucleic acid and protein vaccine and the use of the vaccine to immunize a subject against flavivirus infection. The invention also provides antigens encoded by nucleic acids of the invention, antibodies elicited in response to the antigens and use of the antigens and / or antibodies in detecting flavivirus or diagnosing flavivirus infection.

The present invention provides novel compounds represented by formula I: or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof useful for treating flaviviridae viral infection.

The present invention relates to the production and uses of flavivirus replicons and flavivirus particles and reporter virus particles. The present invention relates to the production and uses of chimeric and codon-optimized flavivirus virus replicons and flavivirus virus particles and reporter virus particles.

A method and composition for treating a host infected with flavivirus, pestivirus or hepacivirus comprising administering an effective flavivirus, pestivirus or hepacivirus treatment amount of a described base-modified nucleoside or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or prodrug thereof, is provided.

The present invention provides a gene expression system comprising: a) a self-replicating expression vector of flavivirus origin which includes the flavivirus 5′ untranslated region (UTR), at least a portion of the 5′ coding region for flavivirus core protein, the nucleotide sequence coding for the flavivirus non-structural proteins, and the complete or most of the 3′-terminal sequence of the flavivrus 3′UTR, required for self-replication of flavivirus genomic material, which vector is adapted to receive at least a nucleotide sequence without disrupting its replication capabilities; and b) at least a second vector that is capable of expressing flavivirus structural protein(s) and any other proteins required for packaging of the self-replicating expression vector into flavivirus viral particles which vector is engineered to prevent recombination with the self-replicating vector when in its presence.

Chimeric flaviviruses that are avirulent and immunogenic are provided. The chimeric viruses are constructed to contain amino acid mutations in the nonstructural proteins of a flavivirus. Chimeric viruses containing the attenuation-mutated nonstructural genes of the virus are used as a backbone into which the structural protein genes of a second flavivirus strain are inserted. These chimeric viruses elicit pronounced immunogenicity yet lack the accompanying clinical symptoms of viral disease. The attenuated chimeric viruses are effective as immunogens or vaccines and may be combined in a pharmaceutical composition to confer simultaneous immunity against several strains of pathogenic flaviviruses.

The present invention is directed to methods of treating flavivirus mediated diseases using siRNAs. The invention is based upon our findings in a mouse model that siRNAs directed against sequences conserved among multiple flaviviruses prevents and treats flavivirus infections. Accordingly, the present invention provides an isolated siRNA comprising a sense RNA and an antisense RNA strand or a single strand. The sense and the antisense RNA strands, or the single RNA strand, form an RNA duplex, and wherein the RNA strand comprises a nucleotide sequence identical to a target sequence of about 15 to about 30 contiguous nucleotides in flavivirus mRNA or mutant or variant thereof.

The invention provides attenuated Flavivirus vaccines, such as vaccines against Japanese encephalitis virus and West Nile virus, as well as methods of making and using these vaccines.

The present invention relates to a vaccine against infections caused by flavivirus. More particularly to the use of the YF vaccine virus (17D) to express at the level of its envelope, protein epitopes from other pathogens which will elicit a specific immune response to the parental pathogen.