Abstract

SUPPRESSION OF HEPATITIS C VIRUS USING POTENT NON TOXIC SIRNA MOLECULE TARGETING THE 5’ UTR

Shaymaa M. M. Yahya, PhD*

ABSTRACT

There is an urgent need for specifically-targeted therapies for HCV. This study aimed to develop a potent specific novel therapy for chronic HCV using RNA interference as a promising gene therapy new technology. Using in silico design software, two siRNs were designed (siS1 and siS2). Con1 and MH1cells were treated with 10, 25, 50 and 100nM of the proposed siRNAs to test their toxic effect using neutral red uptake assay. The cells were transfeccted with 10 nM of siRNAs which is the least toxic siRNA. Measuring of the viral replication inhibition was tested using quantitative real time RT-PCR. siS1 siRNA showed the most promising viral replication knockdown. Both Con1 and MH1 cells transfection with 10 nM siS1 resulted in significant viral knockdown; the inhibition percent was 31.9 and 74.7% as compared to siRNA negative control treatment respectively. This study represents safe and potent siRNA molecule to be used as a targeted therapy for HCV infection therapy.

Keywords: siRNA, HCV, 5’UTR.