Trans-splicing as a novel method to rapidly produce antibody fusion proteins

Therapeutic applications of trans-splicing

BACKGROUND

RNA trans-splicing joins exons from different pre-mRNA transcripts to generate a chimeric product. Trans-splicing can also occur at the protein level, with split inteins mediating the ligation of separate gene products to generate a mature protein.

SOURCES OF DATA

Comprehensive literature search of published research papers and reviews using Pubmed.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT

Trans-splicing techniques have been used to target a wide range of diseases in both in vitro and in vivo models, resulting in RNA, protein and functional correction.

AREAS OF CONTROVERSY

Off-target effects can lead to therapeutically undesirable consequences. In vivo efficacy is typically low, and delivery issues remain a challenge.

GROWING POINTS

Trans-splicing provides a promising avenue for developing novel therapeutic approaches. However, much more research needs to be done before developing towards preclinical studies.

AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH

Increasing trans-splicing efficacy and specificity by rational design, screening and competitive inhibition of endogenous cis-splicing.

Spliceosome-mediated trans-splicing: the therapeutic cut and paste

Spliceosome-mediated RNA trans-splicing (SMaRT) is an RNA-based technology to reprogram genes for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. For the correction of genetic diseases, SMaRT offers several advantages over traditional gene-replacement strategies. SMaRT protocols have recently been used for in vitro phenotypic correction of a variety of genetic disorders, ranging from epidermolysis bullosa to neurodegenerative diseases. In vivo studies are currently bringing trans-splicing RNA therapy toward clinical application. In this review, we summarize the progress made toward the medical use of SMaRT and provide an outlook on its upcoming applications.

Adiponectin self-regulates its expression and multimerization in adipose tissue: an autocrine/paracrine mechanism?

Adiponectin, a 30-kDa peptide hormone discovered in the mid 1990s, is secreted abundantly and exclusively by adipose tissue. Adiponectin exists in three major forms: a low molecular weight (LMW) trimer, a medium molecular weight (MMW) hexamer, and a high molecular weight (HMW) 18-36 oligomer. The HMW oligomer has the most potent insulin-sensitizing activity therefore impaired adiponectin multimerization may lead to impaired glycemic control. Decreased ratio of HMW/total adiponectin has been observed in patients with obesity, type-2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases and insulin resistance-related metabolic syndrome. Previous studies have indicated that berberine or aminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR)-induced activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) suppresses the expression of adiponectin but promotes adiponectin multimerization in adipocytes. Since adiponectin activates AMPK through adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs) in the membranes of adipocytes, we speculate that adiponectin self-regulates its expression and multimerization in adipose tissue. The hypothesis suggests a potential drug target for treating insulin resistance and provides new interpretation of several clinical observations. In addition, we propose a rapid method for one-step detection of the distribution of adiponectin oligomers in approximately 30 min, based on the open sandwich immunoassay and fluorescence resonance energy transfer technology. With the development of this new method, the ratio of HMW/total adiponectin may be applied in clinical diagnosis as a novel biomarker for insulin resistance and metabolic disorders.

Expression of antibody variable region-human alkaline phosphatase fusion proteins in mammalian cells

Antibody fragments and their fusion proteins are indispensable tools as immunoassay reagents in diagnostics and molecular/cellular biotechnology. However, bacterial expression of cloned antibody genes with correct tertiary structure is not always guaranteed because of the lack of proper folding machinery and/or post-translational modifications. In addition, frequently used bacterial alkaline phosphatase as a fusion partner generally shows lower specific activity than the mammalian enzyme, which hampers its wider use as a detection reagent. Here we tried to express the fusion proteins of antibody variable region(s) and secreted human placental alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) using mammalian cell culture. As a result, functional V(H)-SEAP and single-chain Fv-SEAP fusion proteins were successfully obtained from COS-1 cells, which was confirmed by ELISA and Western blotting. This system will be applicable to the rapid production of various antibody-enzyme fusions suitable for ELISA and open-sandwich ELISA that utilizes antigen-dependent V(H)/V(L) interaction for antigen quantitation.