INHIBITION OF HUMAN T-CELL LEUKEMIA-VIRUS TYPE-1 REPLICATION BY ANTISENSE ENV OLIGODEOXYNUCLEOTIDE

Human T-cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) infection is associated wi th adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-associated myelopathy/tropical spast ic paraparesis. inhibition of HTLV-1 transmission is important to prev ent the above HTLV-1-associated diseases. We used the antisense oligod eoxynucleotides (oligos) complementary to the first splice junction, r ex responsive site, gag, enu, tax, rex, and p21 and evaluated the effe cts on the syncytium formation between HTLV-1 producing human T-cell l ine, C91/PL cells, and HTLV-1-uninfected human glioma cell Line, U251- MG cells. The syncytium formation was significantly inhibited the viri on production assayed by antisense oligos to env, tax, gag, p21, and r ex, with antisense oligo to env being the most inhibitory. Antisense o ligos to env and tax also inhibited reverse transcriptase activity. An tisense oligo to env may have a potential as a preventive measure of H TLV-1 replication and transmission in vivo. (C) 1998 Academic Press.