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Xie M, Viviani M, Fussenegger M. Engineering precision therapies: lessons and motivations from the clinic. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2020; 6:ysaa024. [PMID: 33817342 PMCID: PMC7998714 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysaa024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, gene- and cell-based therapies have been at the forefront of the biomedical revolution. Synthetic biology, the engineering discipline of building sophisticated 'genetic software' to enable precise regulation of gene activities in living cells, has been a decisive success factor of these new therapies. Here, we discuss the core technologies and treatment strategies that have already gained approval for therapeutic applications in humans. We also review promising preclinical work that could either enhance the efficacy of existing treatment strategies or pave the way for new precision medicines to treat currently intractable human conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingqi Xie
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zheijang, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zheijang, China
| | - Mirta Viviani
- Key Laboratory of Growth Regulation and Translational Research of Zhejiang Province, School of Life Sciences, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, Zheijang, China
- Westlake Laboratory of Life Sciences and Biomedicine, Hangzhou 310024, Zhejiang, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Westlake Institute for Advanced Study, Hangzhou 310024, Zheijang, China
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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52
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Liu Y, Huang W, Cai Z. Synthesizing AND gate minigene circuits based on CRISPReader for identification of bladder cancer cells. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5486. [PMID: 33127914 PMCID: PMC7599332 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19314-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The logical AND gate gene circuit based on the CRISPR-Cas9 system can distinguish bladder cancer cells from normal bladder epithelial cells. However, the layered artificial gene circuits have the problems of high complexity, difficulty in accurately predicting the behavior, and excessive redundancy, which cannot be applied to clinical translation. Here, we construct minigene circuits based on the CRISPReader, a technology used to control promoter-less gene expression in a robust manner. The minigene circuits significantly induce robust gene expression output in bladder cancer cells, but have nearly undetectable gene expression in normal bladder epithelial cells. The minigene circuits show a higher capability for cancer identification and intervention when compared with traditional gene circuits, and could be used for in vivo cancer gene therapy using the all-in-one AAV vector. This approach expands the design ideas and concepts of gene circuits in medical synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Liu
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Medical Synthetic Biology, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518035, Shenzhen, China. .,Key Laboratory of Medical Reprogramming Technology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518035, Shenzhen, China. .,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518035, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Weiren Huang
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Medical Synthetic Biology, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518035, Shenzhen, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Reprogramming Technology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518035, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518035, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhiming Cai
- National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Medical Synthetic Biology, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518035, Shenzhen, China.,Key Laboratory of Medical Reprogramming Technology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518035, Shenzhen, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Systems Biology and Synthetic Biology for Urogenital Tumors, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University Health Science Center, 518035, Shenzhen, China
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53
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Yin J, Yang L, Mou L, Dong K, Jiang J, Xue S, Xu Y, Wang X, Lu Y, Ye H. A green tea-triggered genetic control system for treating diabetes in mice and monkeys. Sci Transl Med 2020; 11:11/515/eaav8826. [PMID: 31645456 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aav8826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell-based therapies are recognized as the next frontier in medicine, but the translation of many promising technologies into the clinic is currently limited by a lack of remote-control inducers that are safe and can be tightly regulated. Here, we developed therapeutically active engineered cells regulated by a control system that is responsive to protocatechuic acid (PCA), a metabolite found in green tea. We constructed multiple genetic control technologies that could toggle a PCA-responsive ON/OFF switch based on a transcriptional repressor from Streptomyces coelicolor We demonstrated that PCA-controlled switches can be used for guide RNA expression-mediated control of the CRISPR-Cas9 systems for gene editing and epigenetic remodeling. We showed how these technologies could be used as implantable biocomputers in live mice to perform complex logic computations that integrated signals from multiple food metabolites. Last, we used our system to treat type 1 and type 2 diabetes in mice and cynomolgus monkeys. This biocompatible and versatile food phenolic acid-controlled transgenic device opens opportunities for dynamic interventions in gene- and cell-based precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianli Yin
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Linfeng Yang
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Lisha Mou
- Shenzhen Xenotransplantation Medical Engineering Research and Development Center, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, China
| | - Kaili Dong
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jian Jiang
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Shuai Xue
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xinyi Wang
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Ying Lu
- Shenzhen Xenotransplantation Medical Engineering Research and Development Center, Institute of Translational Medicine, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518035, China
| | - Haifeng Ye
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China.
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54
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Wang T, Mu W, Li F, Zhang J, Hou T, Pang X, Yin X, Zhang N. "Layer peeling" co-delivery system for enhanced RNA interference-based tumor associated macrophages-specific chemoimmunotherapy. NANOSCALE 2020; 12:16851-16863. [PMID: 32761008 DOI: 10.1039/d0nr04025h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi)-based immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer treatment. The transport of siRNA and small molecular agents from the tumor vasculature to a separate therapeutic target has been impeded by multiple physiological barriers, which has restricted the development of RNAi-based chemoimmunotherapy. A nanotechnology-based co-delivery system was superior in improving the co-localization of gene and drug in the same tumor cell, while a co-delivery system for chemoimmunotherapy was expected to realize xenotype cell-targeting, which means delivering immunotherapy agents and chemotherapy drugs to immune cells and tumor cells, respectively. A multilayer structure co-delivery system was outstanding in crossing these barriers and targeting different cells in tumor tissue. Herein, a "layer peeling" co-delivery system (CDMPR) was developed with co-loaded IKKβ-siRNA and doxorubicin (DOX), in which IKKβ-siRNA was used for RNAi-based tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) polarization for immunotherapy and DOX was used for chemotherapy. A transwell assay in vitro and an immunofluorescence assay in Hepa1-6 tumor-bearing mice indicated that CDMPR exhibited a pH-sensitive disassembly ability in tumor tissue, IKKβ-siRNA was precisely delivered to M2-type TAMs and DOX was internalized into tumor cells. An M2-type TAMs polarization ability study of CDMPR demonstrated that M2-type TAMs could be polarized to M1-type TAMs by CDMPR in vitro and in vivo. In Hepa1-6 tumor-bearing mice, CDMPR exhibited improved antitumor efficiency with M2-type re-polarization ability by the precise delivery of IKKβ-siRNA and DOX to M2-type TAMs and tumor cells, respectively. Consequently, the combination of RNAi-based TAMs polarization and chemotherapy by the "layer peeling" co-delivery system would achieve an enhanced chemoimmunotherapy effect, which provides a novel strategy to improve cancer therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianqi Wang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, China.
| | - Weiwei Mu
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, China.
| | - Feifei Li
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, China.
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, China.
| | - Teng Hou
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, China.
| | - Xiuping Pang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, China.
| | - Xiaolan Yin
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, China.
| | - Na Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 44 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong Province 250012, China.
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55
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Han X, Yang J, Zeng F, Weng J, Zhang Y, Peng Q, Shen L, Ding S, Liu K, Gao Y. Programmable Synthetic Protein Circuits for the Identification and Suppression of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. MOLECULAR THERAPY-ONCOLYTICS 2020; 17:70-82. [PMID: 32322664 PMCID: PMC7160531 DOI: 10.1016/j.omto.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Precisely identifying and killing tumor cells are diligent pursuits in oncotherapy. Synthesized gene circuits have emerged as an intelligent weapon to solve these problems. Gene circuits based on post-transcriptional regulation enable a faster response than systems based on transcriptional regulation, which requires transcription and translation, showing superior safety. In this study, synthetic-promoter-free gene circuits possessing two control layers were constructed to improve the specific recognition of tumor cells. Using split-TEV, we designed and verified the basic control layer of protein-protein interaction (PPI) sensing. Another orthogonal control layer was built to sense specific proteins. Two layers were integrated to generate gene circuits sensing both PPI and specific proteins, forming 10 logic gates. To demonstrate the utility of this system, the circuit was engineered to sense alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) expression and the PPI between YAP and 14-3-3σ, the matching profile of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Gene-circuit-loaded cells distinguished HCC from other cells and released therapeutic antibodies, exhibiting in vitro and in vivo therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Han
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiong Yang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fanhong Zeng
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Weng
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Peng
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li Shen
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China
| | - Shigang Ding
- Department of Gastroenterology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Kaiyu Liu
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi Gao
- Second Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Zhujiang Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Co-Innovation Center for Organ Failure Research, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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56
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Demircioğlu D, Cukuroglu E, Kindermans M, Nandi T, Calabrese C, Fonseca NA, Kahles A, Lehmann KV, Stegle O, Brazma A, Brooks AN, Rätsch G, Tan P, Göke J. A Pan-cancer Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Pervasive Regulation through Alternative Promoters. Cell 2020; 178:1465-1477.e17. [PMID: 31491388 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Most human protein-coding genes are regulated by multiple, distinct promoters, suggesting that the choice of promoter is as important as its level of transcriptional activity. However, while a global change in transcription is recognized as a defining feature of cancer, the contribution of alternative promoters still remains largely unexplored. Here, we infer active promoters using RNA-seq data from 18,468 cancer and normal samples, demonstrating that alternative promoters are a major contributor to context-specific regulation of transcription. We find that promoters are deregulated across tissues, cancer types, and patients, affecting known cancer genes and novel candidates. For genes with independently regulated promoters, we demonstrate that promoter activity provides a more accurate predictor of patient survival than gene expression. Our study suggests that a dynamic landscape of active promoters shapes the cancer transcriptome, opening new diagnostic avenues and opportunities to further explore the interplay of regulatory mechanisms with transcriptional aberrations in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deniz Demircioğlu
- Computational and Systems Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore; School of Computing, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117417, Singapore
| | - Engin Cukuroglu
- Computational and Systems Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Martin Kindermans
- Computational and Systems Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Tannistha Nandi
- Computational and Systems Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore
| | - Claudia Calabrese
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SD, UK; Genome Biology Unit, EMBL, Heidelberg, 69117, Germany
| | - Nuno A Fonseca
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SD, UK; CIBIO/InBIO - Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Universidade do Porto, Vairão 4485-601, Portugal
| | - André Kahles
- Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8092, Switzerland; Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8093, Switzerland; Computational Biology Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Biomedical Informatics Research, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8091, Switzerland
| | - Kjong-Van Lehmann
- Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8092, Switzerland; Computational Biology Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Biomedical Informatics Research, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8091, Switzerland
| | - Oliver Stegle
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SD, UK; Genome Biology Unit, EMBL, Heidelberg, 69117, Germany; Division of Computational Genomics and Systems Genetics, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany
| | - Alvis Brazma
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SD, UK
| | - Angela N Brooks
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Gunnar Rätsch
- Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8092, Switzerland; Department of Biology, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8093, Switzerland; Computational Biology Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA; SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland; Biomedical Informatics Research, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8091, Switzerland; Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Patrick Tan
- Program in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore; Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore; Cancer Therapeutics and Stratified Oncology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore; SingHealth/Duke-NUS Institute of Precision Medicine, National Heart Centre Singapore, Singapore 169856, Singapore; Cellular and Molecular Research, National Cancer Centre, Singapore 169610, Singapore; Singapore Gastric Cancer Consortium, Singapore 119074, Singapore
| | - Jonathan Göke
- Computational and Systems Biology, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore 138672, Singapore; Cellular and Molecular Research, National Cancer Centre, Singapore 169610, Singapore.
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57
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Tang X, Li Y, Ma J, Wang X, Zhao W, Hossain MA, Yang Y. Adenovirus-mediated specific tumor tagging facilitates CAR-T therapy against antigen-mismatched solid tumors. Cancer Lett 2020; 487:1-9. [PMID: 32454143 DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2020.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) therapy faces at least two major obstacles in solid tumors, including to find specific antigen among the heterogeneous tumor mass and to overcome the inhibitory microenvironment. Developing novel strategies to overcome these difficulties has been the burning issue in immunotherapy. Here we came up with the concept of tagging cancer cells by tumor-targeting adenoviruses (Ad). We constructed recombinant Ads expressing CD19 tag driven by tumor-specific promoters, which could label antigenically different tumors for single anti-CD19 CAR-T recognition. One Ad, namely AdC68-TMC-tCD19 could mediate universal tag expression and functional immunological synapse formation between CAR-T and cancer cells. In premixed mice model, all tagged mice survived after CAR-T infusion and tumor volume were inhibited by 91.78%. Furthermore, we combined the tumor tagging ability with oncolysis and generated the replicative AdC68-Sur-E1A-TMC-tCD19. Oncolytic tagging system could diminish established tumors in vivo and prolong mice survival significantly. Therefore, we suggest the universal oncolytic Ad-tagging system in combination with single target CAR-T cells could be a powerful complement in immunotherapy against antigenically mismatched solid tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinying Tang
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, PR China
| | - Yixuan Li
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, PR China
| | - Jinyan Ma
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, PR China
| | - Xu Wang
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, PR China
| | - Weijun Zhao
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, PR China
| | - Md Amir Hossain
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, PR China
| | - Yong Yang
- Center for New Drug Safety Evaluation and Research, State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 211198, PR China.
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58
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Parr CJC, Wada S, Kotake K, Kameda S, Matsuura S, Sakashita S, Park S, Sugiyama H, Kuang Y, Saito H. N 1-Methylpseudouridine substitution enhances the performance of synthetic mRNA switches in cells. Nucleic Acids Res 2020; 48:e35. [PMID: 32090264 PMCID: PMC7102939 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) tools often use pseudouridine and 5-methyl cytidine as substitutions for uridine and cytidine to avoid the immune response and cytotoxicity induced by introducing mRNA into cells. However, the influence of base modifications on the functionality of the RNA tools is poorly understood. Here we show that synthetic mRNA switches containing N1-methylpseudouridine (m1Ψ) as a substitution of uridine substantially out-performed all other modified bases studied, exhibiting enhanced microRNA and protein sensitivity, better cell-type separation ability, and comparably low immune stimulation. We found that the observed phenomena stem from the high protein expression from m1Ψ containing mRNA and efficient translational repression in the presence of target microRNAs or proteins. In addition, synthetic gene circuits with m1Ψ significantly improve performance in cells. These findings indicate that synthetic mRNAs with m1Ψ modification have enormous potentials in the research and application of biofunctional RNA tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callum J C Parr
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53, Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Wada
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53, Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Kenjiro Kotake
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53, Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Shigetoshi Kameda
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53, Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Satoshi Matsuura
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53, Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Souhei Sakashita
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Soyoung Park
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sugiyama
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwakecho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yi Kuang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Room 5578, Academic Bldg, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Hirohide Saito
- Department of Life Science Frontiers, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, 53, Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
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59
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Bittihn P, Didovyk A, Tsimring LS, Hasty J. Genetically engineered control of phenotypic structure in microbial colonies. Nat Microbiol 2020; 5:697-705. [PMID: 32284568 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-020-0686-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Rapid advances in cellular engineering1,2 have positioned synthetic biology to address therapeutic3,4 and industrial5 problems, but a substantial obstacle is the myriad of unanticipated cellular responses in heterogeneous real-world environments such as the gut6,7, solid tumours8,9, bioreactors10 or soil11. Complex interactions between the environment and cells often arise through non-uniform nutrient availability, which generates bidirectional coupling as cells both adjust to and modify their local environment through phenotypic differentiation12,13. Although synthetic spatial gene expression patterns14-17 have been explored under homogeneous conditions, the mutual interaction of gene circuits, growth phenotype and the environment remains a challenge. Here, we design gene circuits that sense and control phenotypic structure in microcolonies containing both growing and dormant bacteria. We implement structure modulation by coupling different downstream modules to a tunable sensor that leverages Escherichia coli's stress response and is activated on growth arrest. One is an actuator module that slows growth and thereby alters nutrient gradients. Environmental feedback in this circuit generates robust cycling between growth and dormancy in the interior of the colony, as predicted by a spatiotemporal computational model. We also use the sensor to drive an inducible gating module for selective gene expression in non-dividing cells, which allows us to radically alter population structure by eliminating the dormant phenotype with a 'stress-gated lysis circuit'. Our results establish a strategy to leverage and control microbial colony structure for synthetic biology applications in complex environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Bittihn
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,The San Diego Center for Systems Biology, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andriy Didovyk
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.,Vertex Pharmaceuticals, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Lev S Tsimring
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,The San Diego Center for Systems Biology, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Jeff Hasty
- BioCircuits Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,The San Diego Center for Systems Biology, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,Molecular Biology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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60
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Multiple Input Sensing and Signal Integration Using a Split Cas12a System. Mol Cell 2020; 78:184-191.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2020.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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61
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Abstract
The traditional view of protein aggregation as being strictly disease-related has been challenged by many examples of cellular aggregates that regulate beneficial biological functions. When coupled with the emerging view that many regulatory proteins undergo phase separation to form dynamic cellular compartments, it has become clear that supramolecular assembly plays wide-ranging and critical roles in cellular regulation. This presents opportunities to develop new tools to probe and illuminate this biology, and to harness the unique properties of these self-assembling systems for synthetic biology for the purposeful manipulation of biological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Chiesa
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Szilvia Kiriakov
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Ahmad S Khalil
- Biological Design Center, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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62
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Mahmoudian J, Nazari M, Ghods R, Jeddi-Tehrani M, Ostad SN, Ghahremani MH, Vafaei S, Amiri MM, Zarnani AH. Expression of Human Placenta-specific 1 (PLAC1) in CHO-K1 Cells. Avicenna J Med Biotechnol 2020; 12:24-31. [PMID: 32153735 PMCID: PMC7035464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Placenta-specific 1 (PLAC1), as a new Cancer/Testis Antigen (CTA), is frequently expressed in a variety of cancers and localized to cytoplasm and plasma membrane. Surface expression of cancer target antigens is of great importance that enables antibody-mediated cancer immunotherapy. The aim of the current study was to express the intact human PLAC1 protein on plasma membrane of a eukaryotic cell as a model for future anti-PLAC1-based cancer immunotherapy. METHODS In the first approach, entire human PLAC1 gene including its own Signal Peptide (SP) was cloned into pIRES2-EGFP and LeGO-iG2 vectors and expressed in CHO-K1 cells. In the second approach, cytosolic and Signal-Anchor (SA) sequence of Transferrin Receptor Protein 1 (TFR1) were fused to extracellular portion of PLAC1 and expressed as above. Expression of PLAC1 was then assessed using Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), Western Blot (WB), Immunocytochemistry (ICC), Immunofluorescence (IF) and Flow Cytometry (FC). RESULTS The first approach resulted in the expression of PLAC1 in submembranous but not in the surface of transfected CHO-K1 cells. Using the chimeric human PLAC1 construct, the same intracellular expression pattern was observed. CONCLUSION These results indicated that there are some yet unknown PLAC1 localization signals employed by cancer cells for surface expression of PLAC1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jafar Mahmoudian
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran, Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahboobeh Nazari
- Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR), Tehran, Iran,Corresponding authors: Amir-Hassan Zarnani, Ph.D., Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran, Mahboobeh Nazari, Ph.D., Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran, Tel: +98 21 22432020, Fax: +98 21 22432021, E-mail: ;, ,
| | - Roya Ghods
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran, Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahmood Jeddi-Tehrani
- Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyed Nasser Ostad
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran, Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Ghahremani
- Nanotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran, Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Sedigheh Vafaei
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mehdi Amiri
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir-Hassan Zarnani
- Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, (ACECR), Tehran, Iran, Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran, Immunology Research Center (IRC), Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran,Corresponding authors: Amir-Hassan Zarnani, Ph.D., Reproductive Immunology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran, Mahboobeh Nazari, Ph.D., Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran, Tel: +98 21 22432020, Fax: +98 21 22432021, E-mail: ;, ,
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63
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Matsuyama H, Suzuki HI. Systems and Synthetic microRNA Biology: From Biogenesis to Disease Pathogenesis. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 21:E132. [PMID: 31878193 PMCID: PMC6981965 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21010132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are approximately 22-nucleotide-long, small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression. The biogenesis of miRNAs involves multiple steps, including the transcription of primary miRNAs (pri-miRNAs), nuclear Drosha-mediated processing, cytoplasmic Dicer-mediated processing, and loading onto Argonaute (Ago) proteins. Further, miRNAs control diverse biological and pathological processes via the silencing of target mRNAs. This review summarizes recent findings regarding the quantitative aspects of miRNA homeostasis, including Drosha-mediated pri-miRNA processing, Ago-mediated asymmetric miRNA strand selection, and modifications of miRNA pathway components, as well as the roles of RNA modifications (epitranscriptomics), epigenetics, transcription factor circuits, and super-enhancers in miRNA regulation. These recent advances have facilitated a system-level understanding of miRNA networks, as well as the improvement of RNAi performance for both gene-specific targeting and genome-wide screening. The comprehensive understanding and modeling of miRNA biogenesis and function have been applied to the design of synthetic gene circuits. In addition, the relationships between miRNA genes and super-enhancers provide the molecular basis for the highly biased cell type-specific expression patterns of miRNAs and the evolution of miRNA-target connections, while highlighting the importance of alterations of super-enhancer-associated miRNAs in a variety of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hironori Matsuyama
- Fujii Memorial Research Institute, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 1-11-1 Karasaki, Otsu-shi, Shiga 520-0106, Japan;
| | - Hiroshi I. Suzuki
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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64
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Chung HK, Zou X, Bajar BT, Brand VR, Huo Y, Alcudia JF, Ferrell JE, Lin MZ. A compact synthetic pathway rewires cancer signaling to therapeutic effector release. Science 2019; 364:364/6439/eaat6982. [PMID: 31048459 DOI: 10.1126/science.aat6982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
An important goal in synthetic biology is to engineer biochemical pathways to address unsolved biomedical problems. One long-standing problem in molecular medicine is the specific identification and ablation of cancer cells. Here, we describe a method, named Rewiring of Aberrant Signaling to Effector Release (RASER), in which oncogenic ErbB receptor activity, instead of being targeted for inhibition as in existing treatments, is co-opted to trigger therapeutic programs. RASER integrates ErbB activity to specifically link oncogenic states to the execution of desired outputs. A complete mathematical model of RASER and modularity in design enable rational optimization and output programming. Using RASER, we induced apoptosis and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated transcription of endogenous genes specifically in ErbB-hyperactive cancer cells. Delivery of apoptotic RASER by adeno-associated virus selectively ablated ErbB-hyperactive cancer cells while sparing ErbB-normal cells. RASER thus provides a new strategy for oncogene-specific cancer detection and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hokyung K Chung
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Xinzhi Zou
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Bryce T Bajar
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Veronica R Brand
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yunwen Huo
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Javier F Alcudia
- Neuroscience Gene Vector and Virus Core, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - James E Ferrell
- Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Michael Z Lin
- Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.,Department of Chemical and Systems Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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65
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Huang H, Liu Y, Liao W, Cao Y, Liu Q, Guo Y, Lu Y, Xie Z. Oncolytic adenovirus programmed by synthetic gene circuit for cancer immunotherapy. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4801. [PMID: 31641136 PMCID: PMC6805884 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12794-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy remains challenging due to difficulty increasing specificity and immune responses against cancer and limited understanding of its population dynamics. Here, we construct programmable and modular synthetic gene circuits to control adenoviral replication and release of immune effectors selectively in hepatocellular carcinoma cells in response to multiple promoter and microRNA inputs. By performing mouse model experiments and computational simulations, we find that replicable adenovirus has a superior tumor-killing efficacy than non-replicable adenovirus. We observe a synergistic effect on promoting local lymphocyte cytotoxicity and systematic vaccination in immunocompetent mouse models by combining tumor lysis and secretion of immunomodulators. Furthermore, our computational simulations show that oncolytic virus which encodes immunomodulators can exert a more robust therapeutic efficacy than combinatorial treatment with oncolytic virus and immune effector. Our results provide an effective strategy to engineer oncolytic adenovirus, which may lead to innovative immunotherapies for a variety of cancers. It is difficult to improve the efficacy of oncolytic virotherapy due to immune system responses and limited understanding of population dynamics. Here the authors use synthetic biology gene circuits to control adenoviral replication and release of immunomodulators in hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiya Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, Center for Synthetic and System Biology, Department of Automation, Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yiqi Liu
- Syngentech Inc., Zhongguancun Life Science Park, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Weixi Liao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, Center for Synthetic and System Biology, Department of Automation, Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yubing Cao
- Syngentech Inc., Zhongguancun Life Science Park, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Qiang Liu
- Syngentech Inc., Zhongguancun Life Science Park, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yakun Guo
- Syngentech Inc., Zhongguancun Life Science Park, Changping District, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Yinying Lu
- The comprehensive Liver cancer center, The 5th medical center of PLA Genaral Hospital, 100 Xi-Si-Huan Middle Road, Beijing, 100039, China
| | - Zhen Xie
- MOE Key Laboratory of Bioinformatics and Bioinformatics Division, Center for Synthetic and System Biology, Department of Automation, Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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66
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Xie M, Fussenegger M. Designing cell function: assembly of synthetic gene circuits for cell biology applications. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2019; 19:507-525. [PMID: 29858606 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-018-0024-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology is the discipline of engineering application-driven biological functionalities that were not evolved by nature. Early breakthroughs of cell engineering, which were based on ectopic (over)expression of single sets of transgenes, have already had a revolutionary impact on the biotechnology industry, regenerative medicine and blood transfusion therapies. Now, we require larger-scale, rationally assembled genetic circuits engineered to programme and control various human cell functions with high spatiotemporal precision in order to solve more complex problems in applied life sciences, biomedicine and environmental sciences. This will open new possibilities for employing synthetic biology to advance personalized medicine by converting cells into living therapeutics to combat hitherto intractable diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingqi Xie
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zurich, Basel, Switzerland. .,University of Basel, Faculty of Science, Basel, Switzerland.
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67
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Rabinowitch I. What would a synthetic connectome look like? Phys Life Rev 2019; 33:1-15. [PMID: 31296448 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A major challenge of contemporary neuroscience is to unravel the structure of the connectome, the ensemble of neural connections that link between different functional units of the brain, and to reveal how this structure relates to brain function. This thriving area of research largely follows the general tradition in biology of reverse-engineering, which consists of first observing and characterizing a biological system or process, and then deconstructing it into its fundamental building blocks in order to infer its modes of operation. However, a complementary form of biology has emerged, synthetic biology, which emphasizes construction-based forward-engineering. The synthetic biology approach comprises the assembly of new biological systems out of elementary biological parts. The rationale is that the act of building a system can be a powerful method for gaining deep understanding of how that system works. As the fields of connectomics and synthetic biology are independently growing, I propose to consider the benefits of combining the two, to create synthetic connectomics, a new form of neuroscience and a new form of synthetic biology. The goal of synthetic connectomics would be to artificially design and construct the connectomes of live behaving organisms. Synthetic connectomics could serve as a unifying platform for unraveling the complexities of brain operation and perhaps also for generating new forms of artificial life, and, in general, could provide a valuable opportunity for empirically exploring theoretical predictions about network function. What would a synthetic connectome look like? What purposes would it serve? How could it be constructed? This review delineates the novel notion of a synthetic connectome and aims to lay out the initial steps towards its implementation, contemplating its impact on science and society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ithai Rabinowitch
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, IMRIC - Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ein Kerem Campus, Jerusalem, 9112002, Israel.
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68
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Wu MR, Nissim L, Stupp D, Pery E, Binder-Nissim A, Weisinger K, Enghuus C, Palacios SR, Humphrey M, Zhang Z, Maria Novoa E, Kellis M, Weiss R, Rabkin SD, Tabach Y, Lu TK. A high-throughput screening and computation platform for identifying synthetic promoters with enhanced cell-state specificity (SPECS). Nat Commun 2019; 10:2880. [PMID: 31253799 PMCID: PMC6599391 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10912-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell state-specific promoters constitute essential tools for basic research and biotechnology because they activate gene expression only under certain biological conditions. Synthetic Promoters with Enhanced Cell-State Specificity (SPECS) can be superior to native ones, but the design of such promoters is challenging and frequently requires gene regulation or transcriptome knowledge that is not readily available. Here, to overcome this challenge, we use a next-generation sequencing approach combined with machine learning to screen a synthetic promoter library with 6107 designs for high-performance SPECS for potentially any cell state. We demonstrate the identification of multiple SPECS that exhibit distinct spatiotemporal activity during the programmed differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), as well as SPECS for breast cancer and glioblastoma stem-like cells. We anticipate that this approach could be used to create SPECS for gene therapies that are activated in specific cell states, as well as to study natural transcriptional regulatory networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ru Wu
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Lior Nissim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Doron Stupp
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Erez Pery
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Adina Binder-Nissim
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Karen Weisinger
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Casper Enghuus
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Sebastian R Palacios
- Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Melissa Humphrey
- Brain Tumor Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02144, USA
| | - Zhizhuo Zhang
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Eva Maria Novoa
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.,Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG), 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manolis Kellis
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Ron Weiss
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Samuel D Rabkin
- Brain Tumor Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02144, USA.,Department of Neurosurgery (Microbiology & Immunobiology), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Yuval Tabach
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, The Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA. .,Synthetic Biology Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA. .,Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA. .,Biophysics Program, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
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69
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Wei L, Yuan Y, Hu T, Li S, Cheng T, Lei J, Xie Z, Zhang MQ, Wang X. Regulation by competition: a hidden layer of gene regulatory network. QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40484-018-0162-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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70
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Pasin F, Menzel W, Daròs J. Harnessed viruses in the age of metagenomics and synthetic biology: an update on infectious clone assembly and biotechnologies of plant viruses. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2019; 17:1010-1026. [PMID: 30677208 PMCID: PMC6523588 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 12/09/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Recent metagenomic studies have provided an unprecedented wealth of data, which are revolutionizing our understanding of virus diversity. A redrawn landscape highlights viruses as active players in the phytobiome, and surveys have uncovered their positive roles in environmental stress tolerance of plants. Viral infectious clones are key tools for functional characterization of known and newly identified viruses. Knowledge of viruses and their components has been instrumental for the development of modern plant molecular biology and biotechnology. In this review, we provide extensive guidelines built on current synthetic biology advances that streamline infectious clone assembly, thus lessening a major technical constraint of plant virology. The focus is on generation of infectious clones in binary T-DNA vectors, which are delivered efficiently to plants by Agrobacterium. We then summarize recent applications of plant viruses and explore emerging trends in microbiology, bacterial and human virology that, once translated to plant virology, could lead to the development of virus-based gene therapies for ad hoc engineering of plant traits. The systematic characterization of plant virus roles in the phytobiome and next-generation virus-based tools will be indispensable landmarks in the synthetic biology roadmap to better crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Pasin
- Agricultural Biotechnology Research CenterAcademia SinicaTaipeiTaiwan
| | - Wulf Menzel
- Leibniz Institute DSMZ‐German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell CulturesBraunschweigGermany
| | - José‐Antonio Daròs
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Plantas (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas‐Universitat Politècnica de València)ValenciaSpain
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71
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Cella F, Siciliano V. Protein-based parts and devices that respond to intracellular and extracellular signals in mammalian cells. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2019; 52:47-53. [PMID: 31158655 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Synthetic biology aims to rewire cellular activities and functionality by implementing genetic circuits with high biocomputing capabilities. Recent efforts led to the development of smart sensing interfaces which integrate multiple inputs to activate desired outputs in a highly specific and sensitive manner. In this review, we highlight protein-based interfaces that sense intracellular or extracellular cues providing information about dynamic environmental changes and cellular state. We will also discuss different mechanisms of regulation of gene expression connected to the sensors to develop diagnostic and therapeutic devices. We conclude discussing challenges and opportunities for biomedical applications of synthetic mammalian protein-based devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Cella
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, Naples, Italy; University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Velia Siciliano
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, Naples, Italy.
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72
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Wang D, Dai W, Wang J. A Cell-Specific Nuclear Factor-Kappa B–Activating Gene Expression Strategy for Delivering Cancer Immunotherapy. Hum Gene Ther 2019; 30:471-484. [DOI: 10.1089/hum.2018.093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Danyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Wei Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, P.R. China
| | - Jinke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, Nanjing, P.R. China
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Abstract
Engineered immune-cell-based cancer therapies have demonstrated robust efficacy in B cell malignancies, but challenges such as the lack of ideal targetable tumour antigens, tumour-mediated immunosuppression and severe toxicity still hinder their therapeutic efficacy and broad applicability. Synthetic biology can be used to overcome these challenges and create more robust, effective adaptive therapies that enable the specific targeting of cancer cells while sparing healthy cells. In this Progress article, we review recently developed gene circuit therapies for cancer using immune cells, nucleic acids and bacteria as chassis. We conclude by discussing outstanding challenges and future directions for realizing these gene circuit therapies in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Ru Wu
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Barbara Jusiak
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Timothy K Lu
- Synthetic Biology Group, Research Laboratory of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Synthetic Biology Center, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Biophysics Program, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- Center for Microbiome Informatics and Therapeutics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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74
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Construction of Boolean logic gates based on dual-vector circuits of multiple gene regulatory elements. Mol Genet Genomics 2019; 294:277-286. [PMID: 30374564 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-018-1502-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Gene circuits are constructed to run complex logical operations for the precise regulation of biological metabolic processes. At present, the implementation of most genetic circuits is based on the regulatory mechanism of various circuit components, but we hope to realize complex logic gates through biological metabolic pathways of organisms. In this study, we matched the regulatory elements of different functional mechanisms to build a Boolean logic gate model by means of a dual-vector circuit. In Escherichia coli, we made 12 circuit logic gate modules and validated the functions of four of the logic gates, including "AND", "NAND", "OR" and "NOR" by the expression and analysis of a reporter gene. The inputs were converted into outputs by an intermediate product of the host metabolism. The results indicated that these logic gate circuits had the expected efficacy and regulatory characteristics. Our study provides new ideas for designing genetic circuits and precisely controlling metabolic pathways.
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75
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Kojima R, Fussenegger M. Synthetic Biology: Engineering Mammalian Cells To Control Cell-to-Cell Communication at Will. Chembiochem 2019; 20:994-1002. [PMID: 30589185 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201800682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cell-to-cell communication plays a key role in the regulation of many natural biological processes. Recent advances in mammalian synthetic biology are making it possible to rationally engineer cell-to-cell communication for therapeutic and other purposes. Here, we review state-of-the-art engineering principles to control cell-to-cell communication, focusing on communication between mammalian cells with diffusible factors (e.g., small molecules or exosomes) or direct cell contact, and on interkingdom communication between mammalian cells and bacteria. Potential applications include construction of artificial tissues able to perform complex computations, sophisticated cell-based cancer therapies, use of mammalian cells as a new class of cargo delivery modality, development of design principles to control pattern formation of cell populations, and treatment of infectious diseases. We also discuss the challenges facing practical applications, and possible enabling technologies to overcome them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Kojima
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.,PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, 332-0012, Japan
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering (D-BSSE), ETH Zurich, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland.,Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
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76
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Fujita Y, Tinoco R, Li Y, Senft D, Ronai ZA. Ubiquitin Ligases in Cancer Immunotherapy - Balancing Antitumor and Autoimmunity. Trends Mol Med 2019; 25:428-443. [PMID: 30898473 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Considerable progress has been made in understanding the contribution of E3 ubiquitin ligases to health and disease, including the pathogenesis of immunological disorders. Ubiquitin ligases exert exquisite spatial and temporal control over protein stability and function, and are thus crucial for the regulation of both innate and adaptive immunity. Given that immune responses can be both detrimental (autoimmunity) and beneficial (antitumor immunity), it is vital to understand how ubiquitin ligases maintain immunological homeostasis. Such knowledge could reveal novel mechanisms underlying immune regulation and identify new therapeutic approaches to enhance antitumor immunity and safeguard against autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Fujita
- National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Present address: Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan
| | - Roberto Tinoco
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Yan Li
- National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Daniela Senft
- Research Unit Apoptosis in Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health (HMGU), Munich, Germany
| | - Ze'ev A Ronai
- National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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77
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Caliendo F, Dukhinova M, Siciliano V. Engineered Cell-Based Therapeutics: Synthetic Biology Meets Immunology. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:43. [PMID: 30937303 PMCID: PMC6431652 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Synthetic Biology has enabled new approaches to several medical applications including the development of immunotherapies based on bioengineered cells, and most notably the engineering of T-cells with tumor-targeting receptors, the Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR)-T cells. CAR-T-cells have successfully treated blood tumors such as large B-cell lymphoma and promise a new scenario of therapeutic interventions also for solid tumors. Learning the lesson from CAR-T cells, we can foster the reprogramming of T lymphocytes with enhanced survival and functional activity in depressing tumor microenvironment, or to challenge diseases such as infections, autoimmune and chronic inflammatory disorders. This review will focus on the most updated bioengineering approaches to increase control, and safety of T-cell activity and to immunomodulate the extracellular microenvironment to augment immune responses. We will also discuss on applications beyond cancer treatment with implications toward the understanding and cure of a broader range of diseases by means of mammalian cells engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Caliendo
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia-IIT, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, Naples, Italy
| | - Marina Dukhinova
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia-IIT, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, Naples, Italy
| | - Velia Siciliano
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia-IIT, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci, Naples, Italy
- Imperial College London, South Kensington, London, United Kingdom
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78
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Ovarian Cancer Stem Cells with High ROR1 Expression Serve as a New Prophylactic Vaccine for Ovarian Cancer. J Immunol Res 2019; 2019:9394615. [PMID: 31008116 PMCID: PMC6441513 DOI: 10.1155/2019/9394615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Revised: 11/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumor vaccines offer a number of advantages for cancer treatment. In the study, the vaccination with cancer stem cells (CSCs) with high expression of the type I receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor (ROR1) was evaluated in a murine model for the vaccine's immunogenicity and protective efficacy against epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC). CD117+CD44+ CSCs were isolated from human EOC HO8910 cell line using a magnetic-activated cell sorting system; murine ID8 EOC suspension sphere cells, which are collectively known as cancer stem-like cells, were acquired from serum-free suspension sphere-forming culture. Mice were subcutaneously immunized with the repeat cycles of freezing and thawing whole HO8910 CD117+CD44+ CSCs and ID8 cancer stem-like cells, respectively, followed by a challenge with HO8910 or ID8 cells at one week after final vaccination. The results showed that the CSC vaccination significantly induced immunity against EOC growth and markedly prolonged the survival of EOC-bearing mice in the prophylactic setting compared with non-CSC vaccination. Flow cytometry showed significantly increased immunocyte cytotoxicities and remarkably reduced CSC counts in the CSC-vaccinated mice. Moreover, the protective efficacy against EOC was decreased when the ROR1 expression was downregulated by shRNA in CSC vaccines. The findings from the study suggest that CSC vaccines with high ROR1 expression were highly effective in triggering immunity against EOC in vaccinated mice and may serve as an effective vaccine for EOC immunoprophylaxis.
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79
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Zañudo JGT, Guinn MT, Farquhar K, Szenk M, Steinway SN, Balázsi G, Albert R. Towards control of cellular decision-making networks in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Phys Biol 2019; 16:031002. [PMID: 30654341 PMCID: PMC6405305 DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/aaffa1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
We present the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) from two perspectives: experimental/technological and theoretical. We review the state of the current understanding of the regulatory networks that underlie EMT in three physiological contexts: embryonic development, wound healing, and metastasis. We describe the existing experimental systems and manipulations used to better understand the molecular participants and factors that influence EMT and metastasis. We review the mathematical models of the regulatory networks involved in EMT, with a particular emphasis on the network motifs (such as coupled feedback loops) that can generate intermediate hybrid states between the epithelial and mesenchymal states. Ultimately, the understanding gained about these networks should be translated into methods to control phenotypic outcomes, especially in the context of cancer therapeutic strategies. We present emerging theories of how to drive the dynamics of a network toward a desired dynamical attractor (e.g. an epithelial cell state) and emerging synthetic biology technologies to monitor and control the state of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Gómez Tejeda Zañudo
- Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Cancer Program, Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - M. Tyler Guinn
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Stony Brook Medical Scientist Training Program, 101 Nicolls Road, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Kevin Farquhar
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Mariola Szenk
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Steven N. Steinway
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Gábor Balázsi
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794 USA
- Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Réka Albert
- Department of Physics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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80
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Immunoreceptor Engineering and Synthetic Cytokine Signaling for Therapeutics. Trends Immunol 2019; 40:258-272. [DOI: 10.1016/j.it.2019.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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81
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Navarro FJ, Baulcombe DC. miRNA-Mediated Regulation of Synthetic Gene Circuits in the Green Alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. ACS Synth Biol 2019; 8:358-370. [PMID: 30624905 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.8b00393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small RNA molecules of 20-24 nts, have many features that make them useful tools for gene expression regulation-small size, flexible design, target predictability, and action at a late stage of the gene expression pipeline. In addition, their role in fine-tuning gene expression can be harnessed to increase robustness of synthetic gene networks. In this work, we apply a synthetic biology approach to characterize miRNA-mediated gene expression regulation in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This characterization is then used to build tools based on miRNAs, such as synthetic miRNAs, miRNA-responsive 3'UTRs, miRNA decoys, and self-regulatory loops. These tools will facilitate the engineering of gene expression for new applications and improved traits in this alga.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco J. Navarro
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
| | - David C. Baulcombe
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, United Kingdom
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82
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P Teixeira A, Fussenegger M. Engineering mammalian cells for disease diagnosis and treatment. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2019; 55:87-94. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Revised: 08/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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83
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Dai W, Xu X, Wang D, Wu J, Wang J. Cancer therapy with a CRISPR-assisted telomerase-activating gene expression system. Oncogene 2019; 38:4110-4124. [PMID: 30696954 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-019-0707-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Revised: 01/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is caused by a series of alterations in genome and epigenome and exists in multiple complex forms, making it difficult to be prevented and/or treated. Telomerase, an enzyme responsible for the maintenance of telomere, is silent in most normal somatic cells but activated in 90% of cancer cells, making it an excellent target for cancer therapy. Therefore, various telomerase activity inhibitors have been developed to treat cancer but all failed due to side effects. Here we acted oppositely to develop a cancer gene therapy named telomerase-activating gene expression (Tage) system by utilizing the telomerase activity in cancer cells. The Tage system consisted of an effector gene expression vector that carried a 3' telomerase-recognizable stick end and an artificial transcription factor expression vector that could express dCas9-VP64 and an sgRNA targeting telomere repeat sequences. By using Cas9 as an effector gene, the Tage system effectively killed various cancer cells, including HepG2, HeLa, PANC-1, MDA-MB-453, A549, HT-29, SKOV-3, Hepa1-6, and RAW264.7, without affecting normal cells MRC-5, HL7702, and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC). More importantly, a four-base 3' stick end produced by the homothallic switching endonuclease in cells could be recognized by telomerase, allowing the Tage system to effectively kill cancer cells in vivo. The Tage system could effectively and safely realize its in vivo application by using adeno-associated virus (AAV) as gene vector. The virus-loaded Tage system could significantly and specifically kill cancer cells in mice by intravenous drug administration without side effects or toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, 210096, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinhui Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, 210096, Nanjing, China
| | - Danyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, 210096, Nanjing, China
| | - Jian Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, 210096, Nanjing, China
| | - Jinke Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Southeast University, 210096, Nanjing, China.
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84
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Zhou Q, Zhan H, Liao X, Fang L, Liu Y, Xie H, Yang K, Gao Q, Ding M, Cai Z, Huang W, Liu Y. A revolutionary tool: CRISPR technology plays an important role in construction of intelligentized gene circuits. Cell Prolif 2018; 52:e12552. [PMID: 30520167 PMCID: PMC6496519 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
With the development of synthetic biology, synthetic gene circuits have shown great applied potential in medicine, biology, and as commodity chemicals. An ultimate challenge in the construction of gene circuits is the lack of effective, programmable, secure and sequence-specific gene editing tools. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) system, a CRISPR-associated RNA-guided endonuclease Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9)-targeted genome editing tool, has recently been applied in engineering gene circuits for its unique properties-operability, high efficiency and programmability. The traditional single-targeted therapy cannot effectively distinguish tumour cells from normal cells, and gene therapy for single targets has poor anti-tumour effects, which severely limits the application of gene therapy. Currently, the design of gene circuits using tumour-specific targets based on CRISPR/Cas systems provides a new way for precision cancer therapy. Hence, the application of intelligentized gene circuits based on CRISPR technology effectively guarantees the safety, efficiency and specificity of cancer therapy. Here, we assessed the use of synthetic gene circuits and if the CRISPR system could be used, especially artificial switch-inducible Cas9, to more effectively target and treat tumour cells. Moreover, we also discussed recent advances, prospectives and underlying challenges in CRISPR-based gene circuit development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Zhou
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Clinical Medicine College of Anhui Medical University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hengji Zhan
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinhui Liao
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lan Fang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Clinical Medicine College of Anhui Medical University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuhan Liu
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haibiao Xie
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kang Yang
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qunjun Gao
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mengting Ding
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Clinical Medicine College of Anhui Medical University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhiming Cai
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Clinical Medicine College of Anhui Medical University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weiren Huang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Clinical Medicine College of Anhui Medical University, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuchen Liu
- Department of Urology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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85
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Synthetic RNA-based logic computation in mammalian cells. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4847. [PMID: 30451868 PMCID: PMC6242901 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07181-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Synthetic biological circuits are designed to regulate gene expressions to control cell function. To date, these circuits often use DNA-delivery methods, which may lead to random genomic integration. To lower this risk, an all RNA system, in which the circuit and delivery method are constituted of RNA components, is preferred. However, the construction of complexed circuits using RNA-delivered devices in living cells has remained a challenge. Here we show synthetic mRNA-delivered circuits with RNA-binding proteins for logic computation in mammalian cells. We create a set of logic circuits (AND, OR, NAND, NOR, and XOR gates) using microRNA (miRNA)- and protein-responsive mRNAs as decision-making controllers that are used to express transgenes in response to intracellular inputs. Importantly, we demonstrate that an apoptosis-regulatory AND gate that senses two miRNAs can selectively eliminate target cells. Thus, our synthetic RNA circuits with logic operation could provide a powerful tool for future therapeutic applications.
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86
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Zhang S, Voigt CA. Engineered dCas9 with reduced toxicity in bacteria: implications for genetic circuit design. Nucleic Acids Res 2018; 46:11115-11125. [PMID: 30289463 PMCID: PMC6237744 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Large synthetic genetic circuits require the simultaneous expression of many regulators. Deactivated Cas9 (dCas9) can serve as a repressor by having a small guide RNA (sgRNA) direct it to bind a promoter. The programmability and specificity of RNA:DNA basepairing simplifies the generation of many orthogonal sgRNAs that, in theory, could serve as a large set of regulators in a circuit. However, dCas9 is toxic in many bacteria, thus limiting how high it can be expressed, and low concentrations are quickly sequestered by multiple sgRNAs. Here, we construct a non-toxic version of dCas9 by eliminating PAM (protospacer adjacent motif) binding with a R1335K mutation (dCas9*) and recovering DNA binding by fusing it to the PhlF repressor (dCas9*_PhlF). Both the 30 bp PhlF operator and 20 bp sgRNA binding site are required to repress a promoter. The larger region required for recognition mitigates toxicity in Escherichia coli, allowing up to 9600 ± 800 molecules of dCas9*_PhlF per cell before growth or morphology are impacted, as compared to 530 ± 40 molecules of dCas9. Further, PhlF multimerization leads to an increase in average cooperativity from n = 0.9 (dCas9) to 1.6 (dCas9*_PhlF). A set of 30 orthogonal sgRNA-promoter pairs are characterized as NOT gates; however, the simultaneous use of multiple sgRNAs leads to a monotonic decline in repression and after 15 are co-expressed the dynamic range is <10-fold. This work introduces a non-toxic variant of dCas9, critical for its use in applications in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology, and exposes a limitation in the number of regulators that can be used in one cell when they rely on a shared resource.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyi Zhang
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Christopher A Voigt
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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87
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Abstract
Synthetic biologists have developed sophisticated molecular and genetic tools to engineer new biochemical functions in cells. Applications for these tools have focused on important problems in energy and medicine, but they can also be applied to address basic science topics that cannot be easily accessed by classical approaches. We focus on recent work that has utilized synthetic biology approaches, ranging from promoter engineering to the de novo synthesis of cellular parts, to investigate a wide range of biochemical and cellular questions. Insights obtained by these efforts include how fatty acid composition mediates cellular metabolism, how transcriptional circuits act to stabilize multicellular networks, and fitness trade-offs involved in the selection of genetic regulatory elements. We also highlight common themes about how "discovery by synthesis" approaches can aid fundamental research. For example, rewiring of native metabolism through metabolic engineering is a powerful tool for investigating biological molecules whose exact composition and abundance are key for function. Meanwhile, endeavors to synthesize cells and their components allow scientists to address evolutionary questions that are otherwise constrained by extant laboratory models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itay Budin
- Joint BioEnergy Institute , 5885 Hollis Street , Emeryville , California 94608 , United States.,Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering , University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States
| | - Jay D Keasling
- Joint BioEnergy Institute , 5885 Hollis Street , Emeryville , California 94608 , United States.,Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering , University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States.,Department of Bioengineering , University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States.,QB3 Institute , University of California, Berkeley , Berkeley , California 94270 , United States.,Biological Systems & Engineering , Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , Berkeley , California 94720 , United States.,The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Sustainability , Technical University of Denmark , 2800 Kgs. Lyngby , Denmark.,Institute for Synthetic Biology , Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology , Shenzhen 518055 , China
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88
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Stable Intronic Sequence RNAs (sisRNAs): An Expanding Universe. Trends Biochem Sci 2018; 44:258-272. [PMID: 30391089 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2018.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Intronic sequences are often regarded as 'nonsense' transcripts that are rapidly degraded. We highlight here recent studies on intronic sequences that play regulatory roles as long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) which are classified as sisRNAs. Interestingly, sisRNAs come in different forms and are produced via a variety of ways. They regulate genes at the DNA, RNA, and protein levels, and frequently engage in autoregulatory feedback loops to ensure cellular homeostasis under normal and stress conditions. Future directions, evolutionary insights, and potential implications of dysregulated sisRNAs are also discussed, especially in relation to human pathogenesis.
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89
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Zhang MX, Hong SS, Cai QQ, Zhang M, Chen J, Zhang XY, Xu CJ. Transcriptional control of the MUC16 promoter facilitates follicle-stimulating hormone peptide-conjugated shRNA nanoparticle-mediated inhibition of ovarian carcinoma in vivo. Drug Deliv 2018. [PMID: 29542355 PMCID: PMC6058609 DOI: 10.1080/10717544.2018.1451934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among gynecological malignancies. The high mortality rate has not been significantly reduced despite advances in surgery and chemotherapy. Gene therapy shows therapeutic potential, but several key issues must be resolved before clinical application. To minimize toxicity in noncancerous tissues, tumor-specific ligands are conjugated to vectors to increase the selectivity of drug delivery. The expression pattern of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) receptor in normal and cancer tissues provides an opportunity for highly selective drug delivery in ovarian cancer. Furthermore, tumor-specific promoters can conditionally regulate therapeutic gene expression in tumor or normal tissues. The mucin 16 (MUC16) promoter might be a potential tool to drive ovarian cancer-localized gene expression since MUC16/CA125 is overexpressed in most ovarian carcinomas. Here, we screened the possible MUC16 promoter sequences and constructed MUC16 promoter-driven gro-α shRNA plasmid vectors. The vectors were specifically delivered into ovarian cancer cells via FSH peptide-conjugated nanoparticles. The predicted promoter sequence with TAAA repeats showed high transcriptional activity. The nanoparticle complex containing MUC16 promoter-driven gro-α shRNA and FSH peptides had the ability to decrease gro-α protein secretion in ovarian cancer cells and block tumor growth without obvious toxic effects in a nude mouse model bearing ovarian cancer. Our study provides a novel gene delivery system using a MUC16 promoter trigger and FSH peptide-mediated active targeting in ovarian cancer, and this system may be a promising strategy for specific genetic therapeutic delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Xing Zhang
- a Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital , Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Shan-Shan Hong
- a Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital , Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Qing-Qing Cai
- a Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital , Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School , Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,c Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases , Shanghai , China
| | - Meng Zhang
- a Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital , Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Jun Chen
- d Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy , Fudan University , Shanghai , China
| | - Xiao-Yan Zhang
- a Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital , Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School , Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,c Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases , Shanghai , China
| | - Cong-Jian Xu
- a Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital , Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,b Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Shanghai Medical School , Fudan University , Shanghai , China.,c Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases , Shanghai , China
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90
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Marshall HT, Djamgoz MBA. Immuno-Oncology: Emerging Targets and Combination Therapies. Front Oncol 2018; 8:315. [PMID: 30191140 PMCID: PMC6115503 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Host immunity recognizes and eliminates most early tumor cells, yet immunological checkpoints, exemplified by CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1, pose a significant obstacle to effective antitumor immune responses. T-lymphocyte co-inhibitory pathways influence intensity, inflammation and duration of antitumor immunity. However, tumors and their immunosuppressive microenvironments exploit them to evade immune destruction. Recent PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors yielded unprecedented efficacies and durable responses across advanced-stage melanoma, showcasing potential to replace conventional radiotherapy regimens. Neverthless, many clinical problems remain in terms of efficacy, patient-to-patient variability, and undesirable outcomes and side effects. In this review, we evaluate recent advances in the immuno-oncology field and discuss ways forward. First, we give an overview of current immunotherapy modalities, involving mainy single agents, including inhibitor monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting T-cell checkpoints of PD-1 and CTLA-4. However, neoantigen recognition alone cannot eliminate tumors effectively in vivo given their inherent complex micro-environment, heterogeneous nature and stemness. Then, based mainly upon CTLA-4 and PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors as a "backbone," we cover a range of emerging ("second-generation") therapies incorporating other immunotherapies or non-immune based strategies in synergistic combination. These include targeted therapies such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors, co-stimulatory mAbs, bifunctional agents, epigenetic modulators (such as inhibitors of histone deacetylases or DNA methyltransferase), vaccines, adoptive-T-cell therapy, nanoparticles, oncolytic viruses, and even synthetic "gene circuits." A number of novel immunotherapy co-targets in pre-clinical development are also introduced. The latter include metabolic components, exosomes and ion channels. We discuss in some detail of the personalization of immunotherapy essential for ultimate maximization of clinical outcomes. Finally, we outline possible future technical and conceptual developments including realistic in vitro and in vivo models and inputs from physics, engineering, and artificial intelligence. We conclude that the breadth and quality of immunotherapeutic approaches and the types of cancers that can be treated will increase significantly in the foreseeable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry T Marshall
- Neuroscience Solutions to Cancer Research Group, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mustafa B A Djamgoz
- Neuroscience Solutions to Cancer Research Group, Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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91
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Wang X, Fan S, Pan H, Chen W, Wang H. Cancer immunotherapy for metastasis: past, present and future. Brief Funct Genomics 2018; 18:140-146. [PMID: 29992233 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/ely022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobo Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Shaoyi Fan
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hehai Pan
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Wenli Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, P.R. China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Orthopaedics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, 58 Zhongshan Second Road, Guangzhou, P.R. China
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92
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Sedlmayer F, Aubel D, Fussenegger M. Synthetic gene circuits for the detection, elimination and prevention of disease. Nat Biomed Eng 2018; 2:399-415. [PMID: 31011195 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-018-0215-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In living organisms, naturally evolved sensors that constantly monitor and process environmental cues trigger corrective actions that enable the organisms to cope with changing conditions. Such natural processes have inspired biologists to construct synthetic living sensors and signalling pathways, by repurposing naturally occurring proteins and by designing molecular building blocks de novo, for customized diagnostics and therapeutics. In particular, designer cells that employ user-defined synthetic gene circuits to survey disease biomarkers and to autonomously re-adjust unbalanced pathological states can coordinate the production of therapeutics, with controlled timing and dosage. Furthermore, tailored genetic networks operating in bacterial or human cells have led to cancer remission in experimental animal models, owing to the network's unprecedented specificity. Other applications of designer cells in infectious, metabolic and autoimmune diseases are also being explored. In this Review, we describe the biomedical applications of synthetic gene circuits in major disease areas, and discuss how the first genetically engineered devices developed on the basis of synthetic-biology principles made the leap from the laboratory to the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand Sedlmayer
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Aubel
- IUTA Département Génie Biologique, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Martin Fussenegger
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Basel, Switzerland. .,Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
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93
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Dalchau N, Szép G, Hernansaiz-Ballesteros R, Barnes CP, Cardelli L, Phillips A, Csikász-Nagy A. Computing with biological switches and clocks. NATURAL COMPUTING 2018; 17:761-779. [PMID: 30524215 PMCID: PMC6244770 DOI: 10.1007/s11047-018-9686-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The complex dynamics of biological systems is primarily driven by molecular interactions that underpin the regulatory networks of cells. These networks typically contain positive and negative feedback loops, which are responsible for switch-like and oscillatory dynamics, respectively. Many computing systems rely on switches and clocks as computational modules. While the combination of such modules in biological systems leads to a variety of dynamical behaviours, it is also driving development of new computing algorithms. Here we present a historical perspective on computation by biological systems, with a focus on switches and clocks, and discuss parallels between biology and computing. We also outline our vision for the future of biological computing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Luca Cardelli
- Microsoft Research, Cambridge, UK
- University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Attila Csikász-Nagy
- King’s College London, London, UK
- Pázmány Péter Catholic University, Budapest, Hungary
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94
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Genome Writing: Current Progress and Related Applications. GENOMICS PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2018; 16:10-16. [PMID: 29474887 PMCID: PMC6000237 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2018.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The ultimate goal of synthetic biology is to build customized cells or organisms to meet specific industrial or medical needs. The most important part of the customized cell is a synthetic genome. Advanced genomic writing technologies are required to build such an artificial genome. Recently, the partially-completed synthetic yeast genome project represents a milestone in this field. In this mini review, we briefly introduce the techniques for de novo genome synthesis and genome editing. Furthermore, we summarize recent research progresses and highlight several applications in the synthetic genome field. Finally, we discuss current challenges and future prospects.
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96
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Dart A. Immunotherapy: Rewiring cancer cells. Nat Rev Cancer 2017; 17:706-707. [PMID: 29162944 DOI: 10.1038/nrc.2017.112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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