Oral delivery of RNase P ribozymes by Salmonella inhibits viral infection in mice

Safe, effective, and tissue-specific delivery is a central issue for the therapeutic application of nucleic-acid-based gene interfering agents, such as ribozymes and siRNAs. In this study, we constructed a functional RNase P-based ribozyme (M1GS RNA) that targets the overlapping mRNA region of M80.5 and protease, two murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) proteins essential for viral replication. In addition, a novel attenuated strain of Salmonella, which exhibited efficient gene transfer activity and little cytotoxicity and pathogenicity in mice, was constructed and used for delivery of anti-MCMV ribozyme. In MCMV-infected macrophages treated with the constructed attenuated Salmonella strain carrying the functional M1GS RNA construct, we observed an 80-85% reduction in the expression of M80.5/protease and a 2,500-fold reduction in viral growth. Oral inoculation of the attenuated Salmonella strain in mice efficiently delivered antiviral M1GS RNA into spleens and livers, leading to substantial expression of the ribozyme without causing significant adverse effects in the animals. Furthermore, the MCMV-infected mice that were treated orally with Salmonella carrying the functional M1GS sequence displayed reduced viral gene expression, decreased viral titers, and improved survival compared to the untreated mice or mice treated with Salmonella containing control ribozyme sequences. Our results provide direct evidence that oral delivery of M1GS RNA by Salmonella-based vectors effectively inhibits viral gene expression and replication in mice. Moreover, this study demonstrates the utility of Salmonella-mediated oral delivery of RNase P ribozyme for gene-targeting applications in vivo.