Effective Suppression of Chikungunya Virus Infection in Cell Cultures using Hepatitis Delta Ribozymes

Abstract: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an emerging pathogen with widespread distribution in regions of Africa, India, and Asia that threatens to spread into temperate climates following the introduction of its major vector, Ae. albopictus. Recent cases have been documented in Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas. CHIKV causes a disease frequently misdiagnosed as Dengue fever, with potentially life-threatening symptoms that can result in long term debilitating arthritis. There have been ongoing investigations of possible therapeutic interventions for both acute and chronic symptoms, but to date none have proven effective in reducing the severity or lasting effects of CHIKV disease. Recently, a promising vaccine candidate has received accelerated FDA approval, indicating the importance of remedies to this emerging worldwide health threat. Nonetheless, therapeutic interventions for CHIKV and other mosquito borne virus diseases are urgently needed yet remain elusive. The increasing risk of spread from endemic regions via human travel and commerce, coupled with the absence of a vaccine or FDA approved therapeutic, puts a significant proportion of the world population at risk for this disease. In this report we explore the possibility of using SOFA (Specific On/oFf Adapter) Hepatitis Delta Virus Ribozymes (HDV-Rzs) as antivirals in cells infected with CHIKV. The results we obtained suggest there could be some role in using these SOFA HDV molecules as antiviral therapies for not only CHIKV, but potentially other viruses as well.