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Inactivated parapoxvirus ovis (Orf virus) has antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus and herpes simplex virus

Olaf Weber^1,

Angela Siegling^1,

¹ BAYER AG Pharmaceutical Division, Antiinfective Research, D-42096 Wuppertal, Germany
² Institute of Medical Immunology, Humboldt University Berlin, Medical School (Charité), Campus Mitte, D-10098 Berlin, Germany
³ Zentrum für Molekulare Biologie (ZMBH), Ruprecht Karls University, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
⁴ BAYER AG Animal Health R&D/Bio, Leverkusen, Germany
⁵ Department of Microbiology, Virus Research Unit, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

Correspondence
Olaf Weber
Olaf.Weber.b{at}bayer.com

It is known that some viruses are able to induce vigorous immune reactions. This study shows that inactivated parapoxvirus ovis (Orf virus), strain D1701 (PPVO), induces an autoregulatory cytokine response that involves the upregulation of IL-12, IL-18, IFN- and other T helper 1-type cytokines and their subsequent downregulation, which is accompanied by induction of IL-4. An increase in IL-10 expression was also found in the livers of PPVO-treated mice. PPVO protects mice from lethal herpes simplex virus type 1 infection and guinea pigs from recurrent genital herpes disease. With dosages as low as 500 000 virus particles, PPVO is more potent than the current standard 3TC therapy in hepatitis B virus transgenic mice. No signs of inflammation or any other side effects were observed. PPVO induces IL-12, TNF- and, together with a suboptimal concentration of Concanavalin A, IFN- in human peripheral blood leukocytes as well. The principle of an autoregulatory cytokine induction by an inactivated virus might have advantages over existing immune therapies and it is concluded that inactivated PPVO should be investigated further for its potential use in antiviral therapy.

Published ahead of print on 30 April 2003 as DOI 10.1099/vir.0.19138-0

Present address: Bayer Corporation, Pharmaceutical Division, Department of Cancer Research, 400 Morgan Lane, West Haven, CT 06516-4175, USA.

Present address: Mixis France, Faculté de Médicine Necker, 156, rue de Vaugirard, 75015 Paris, France.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. Friebe, A. Siegling, S. Friederichs, H.-D. Volk, and O. Weber Immunomodulatory Effects of Inactivated Parapoxvirus Ovis (Orf Virus) on Human Peripheral Immune Cells: Induction of Cytokine Secretion in Monocytes and Th1-Like Cells J. Virol., September 1, 2004; 78(17): 9400 - 9411. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]