Harnessing defective interfering particles and lipid nanoparticles for effective delivery of an anti-dengue virus RNA therapy

Min-Hsuan Lin; Pramila Maniam; Dongsheng Li; Bing Tang; Cameron R Bishop; Andreas Suhrbier; Lucy Wales- Earl; Yaman Tayyar; Nigel A J McMillan; Li Li; David Harrich

doi:10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102424

Harnessing defective interfering particles and lipid nanoparticles for effective delivery of an anti-dengue virus RNA therapy

Mol Ther Nucleic Acids. 2024 Dec 12;36(1):102424. doi: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102424. eCollection 2025 Mar 11.

Authors

Min-Hsuan Lin¹, Pramila Maniam¹, Dongsheng Li¹, Bing Tang¹, Cameron R Bishop¹, Andreas Suhrbier^{1

2}, Lucy Wales- Earl³, Yaman Tayyar^{3

4}, Nigel A J McMillan³, Li Li⁵, David Harrich^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Program of Infection and Inflammation, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
² Global Virus Network (GVN) Center of Excellence, Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia.
³ Menzies Health Institute Queensland and School of Pharmacy and Medical Science, Griffith University, Gold Coast, QLD 4222, Australia.
⁴ Prorenata Biotech, Molendinar, QLD 4214, Australia.
⁵ Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, the University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.

Abstract

Currently, no approved antiviral drugs target dengue virus (DENV) infection, leaving treatment reliant on supportive care. DENV vaccine efficacy varies depending on the vaccine type, the circulating serotype, and vaccine coverage. We investigated defective interfering particles (DIPs) and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver DI290, an anti-DENV DI RNA. Both DIPs and DI290-loaded LNPs (LNP-290) effectively suppressed DENV infection in human primary monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs), THP-1 macrophages, and fibroblasts-natural DENV targets. Inhibiting interferon (IFN) signaling with a Janus kinase 1/2 inhibitor or an IFN-α/β receptor 1 (IFNAR1)-binding antibody blocked DIP and LNP-290 antiviral activity. LNP-290 demonstrated a greater than log10 inhibition of DENV viral loads in IFNAR-deficient (Ifnar ^-/- ) and IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 3 and 7 double knockout (Irf3/7 ^-/- ) mice. Pathway analysis of RNA sequencing data from LNP-treated C57BL/6J mice, Ifnar ^-/- mice, and human MDMs treated with LNPs or DENV DIPs indicated DI290 treatment enhanced IFN responses, suggesting IFN-λ and IFN-γ provided antiviral activity when IFN-α/β responses were diminished. While viral interference by DI290 is possible, results did not support RNA replication competition as an inhibition mechanism. These findings suggest that DI290 may be a promising DENV therapeutic by activating the innate immune system.

Keywords: DIPs; LNPs; MT: Delivery Strategies; RNA; antiviral; defective; dengue; interfering; mouse; therapeutic.