Single-base editing technology for chronic hepatitis B virus infection shows functional healing potential

Recently, Beam Therapeutics announced that its preclinical research results show that its cytosine base editor (CBE) in an in vitro model reduces the expression of hepatitis B virus surface antigen (HBsAg) and prevents the level of hepatitis B virus from rebounding after antiviral drugs are stopped.

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can increase the risk of life-threatening health problems such as liver cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer

Image source: Beam's official website

The base editor can convert a specific base into another base without causing a double-strand break

▲Using base editing to functionally cure hepatitis B (picture source: Beam Therapeutics official website)

In in vitro experiments, the researchers screened out two guide RNAs (gRNAs) that target the HBV genome and used them to mediate the introduction of stop codons at different locations in the HBV genome

▲Base editing successfully reduced a variety of HBV virus indicators (picture source: Beam Therapeutics official website)

Combining base editing with the standard antiviral drug lamivudine further increases the efficiency of base editing by 20%, resulting in a higher antiviral effect

▲Single-base editing prevents the rebound of virus levels after lamivudine is stopped (Image source: Beam Therapeutics official website)

Based on this result, Beam plans to conduct a proof-of-concept study on the base editing treatment of chronic hepatitis B in an in vivo model

Reference materials:

[1] Beam Therapeutics Announces Preclinical Data Highlighting Potential of Base Editors to Target Disease Drivers of Chronic Hepatitis B Infection.

[2] cccDNA inactivation using cytosine base editors.