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Xiao R, Chen Y, Hu Z, Tang Q, Wang P, Zhou M, Wu L, Liang D. Identification of the Efficient Enhancer Elements in FVIII-Padua for Gene Therapy Study of Hemophilia A. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3635. [PMID: 38612447 PMCID: PMC11011560 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HA) is a common X-linked recessive hereditary bleeding disorder. Coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) is insufficient in patients with HA due to the mutations in the F8 gene. The restoration of plasma levels of FVIII via both recombinant B-domain-deleted FVIII (BDD-FVIII) and B-domain-deleted F8 (BDDF8) transgenes was proven to be helpful. FVIII-Padua is a 23.4 kb tandem repeat mutation in the F8 associated with a high F8 gene expression and thrombogenesis. Here we screened a core enhancer element in FVIII-Padua for improving the F8 expression. In detail, we identified a 400 bp efficient enhancer element, C400, in FVIII-Padua for the first time. The core enhancer C400 extensively improved the transcription of BDDF8 driven by human elongation factor-1 alpha in HepG2, HeLa, HEK-293T and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with different genetic backgrounds, as well as iPSCs-derived endothelial progenitor cells (iEPCs) and iPSCs-derived mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs). The expression of FVIII protein was increased by C400, especially in iEPCs. Our research provides a novel molecular target to enhance expression of FVIII protein, which has scientific value and application prospects in both viral and nonviral HA gene therapy strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Desheng Liang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; (R.X.); (Y.C.); (Z.H.); (M.Z.)
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2
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Zhang X, Van Treeck B, Horton CA, McIntyre JJR, Palm SM, Shumate JL, Collins K. Harnessing eukaryotic retroelement proteins for transgene insertion into human safe-harbor loci. Nat Biotechnol 2024:10.1038/s41587-024-02137-y. [PMID: 38379101 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02137-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Current approaches for inserting autonomous transgenes into the genome, such as CRISPR-Cas9 or virus-based strategies, have limitations including low efficiency and high risk of untargeted genome mutagenesis. Here, we describe precise RNA-mediated insertion of transgenes (PRINT), an approach for site-specifically primed reverse transcription that directs transgene synthesis directly into the genome at a multicopy safe-harbor locus. PRINT uses delivery of two in vitro transcribed RNAs: messenger RNA encoding avian R2 retroelement-protein and template RNA encoding a transgene of length validated up to 4 kb. The R2 protein coordinately recognizes the target site, nicks one strand at a precise location and primes complementary DNA synthesis for stable transgene insertion. With a cultured human primary cell line, over 50% of cells can gain several 2 kb transgenes, of which more than 50% are full-length. PRINT advantages include no extragenomic DNA, limiting risk of deleterious mutagenesis and innate immune responses, and the relatively low cost, rapid production and scalability of RNA-only delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhu Zhang
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Briana Van Treeck
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Connor A Horton
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jeremy J R McIntyre
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sarah M Palm
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Justin L Shumate
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Kathleen Collins
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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3
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Targeted-Deletion of a Tiny Sequence via Prime Editing to Restore SMN Expression. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23147941. [PMID: 35887289 PMCID: PMC9317564 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23147941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a devastating autosomal recessive motor neuron disease associated with mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene, the leading genetic cause of infant mortality. A nearly identical copy gene (SMN2) is retained in almost all patients with SMA. However, SMN2 fails to prevent disease development because of its alternative splicing, leading to a lack of exon 7 in the majority of SMN2 transcripts and yielding an unstable truncated protein. Several splicing regulatory elements, including intronic splicing silencer-N1 (ISS-N1) of SMN2 have been described. In this study, targeted-deletion of ISS-N1 was achieved using prime editing (PE) in SMA patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (SMA-iPSCs) with a high efficiency of 7/24. FL-SMN expression was restored in the targeted-deletion iPS clones and their derived motor neurons (iMNs). Notably, the apoptosis of the iMNs, caused by the loss of SMN protein that leads to the hyperactivity of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, was alleviated in targeted-deletion iPSCs derived-iMNs. Thus, this is the first study to demonstrate that the targeted-deletion of ISS-N1 via PE for restoring FL-SMN expression holds therapeutic promise for SMA.
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Son JS, Park CY, Lee G, Park JY, Kim HJ, Kim G, Chi KY, Woo DH, Han C, Kim SK, Park HJ, Kim DW, Kim JH. Therapeutic correction of hemophilia A using 2D endothelial cells and multicellular 3D organoids derived from CRISPR/Cas9-engineered patient iPSCs. Biomaterials 2022; 283:121429. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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Ectopic Expression of FVIII in HPCs and MSCs Derived from hiPSCs with Site-Specific Integration of ITGA2B Promoter-Driven BDDF8 Gene in Hemophilia A. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020623. [PMID: 35054807 PMCID: PMC8775870 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HA) is caused by mutations in the coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) gene (F8). Gene therapy is a hopeful cure for HA; however, FVIII inhibitors formation hinders its clinical application. Given that platelets promote coagulation via locally releasing α-granule, FVIII ectopically expressed in platelets has been attempted, with promising results for HA treatment. The B-domain-deleted F8 (BDDF8), driven by a truncated ITGA2B promoter, was targeted at the ribosomal DNA (rDNA) locus of HA patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (HA-iPSCs). The F8-modified, human induced pluripotent stem cells (2bF8-iPSCs) were differentiated into induced hematopoietic progenitor cells (iHPCs), induced megakaryocytes (iMKs), and mesenchymal stem cells (iMSCs), and the FVIII expression was detected. The ITGA2B promoter-driven BDDF8 was site-specifically integrated into the rDNA locus of HA-iPSCs. The 2bF8-iPSCs were efficiently differentiated into 2bF8-iHPCs, 2bF8-iMKs, and 2bF8-iMSCs. FVIII was 10.31 ng/106 cells in lysates of 2bF8-iHPCs, compared to 1.56 ng/106 cells in HA-iHPCs, and FVIII was 3.64 ng/106 cells in 2bF8-iMSCs lysates, while 1.31 ng/106 cells in iMSCs with CMV-driven BDDF8. Our results demonstrated a high expression of FVIII in iHPCs and iMSCs derived from hiPSCs with site-specific integration of ITGA2B promoter-driven BDDF8, indicating potential clinical prospects of this platelet-targeted strategy for HA gene therapy.
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Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as a Tool for Modeling Hematologic Disorders and as a Potential Source for Cell-Based Therapies. Cells 2021; 10:cells10113250. [PMID: 34831472 PMCID: PMC8623953 DOI: 10.3390/cells10113250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The breakthrough in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) has revolutionized the field of biomedical and pharmaceutical research and opened up vast opportunities for drug discovery and regenerative medicine, especially when combined with gene-editing technology. Numerous healthy and patient-derived hiPSCs for human disease modeling have been established, enabling mechanistic studies of pathogenesis, platforms for preclinical drug screening, and the development of novel therapeutic targets/approaches. Additionally, hiPSCs hold great promise for cell-based therapy, serving as an attractive cell source for generating stem/progenitor cells or functional differentiated cells for degenerative diseases, due to their unlimited proliferative capacity, pluripotency, and ethical acceptability. In this review, we provide an overview of hiPSCs and their utility in the study of hematologic disorders through hematopoietic differentiation. We highlight recent hereditary and acquired genetic hematologic disease modeling with patient-specific iPSCs, and discuss their applications as instrumental drug screening tools. The clinical applications of hiPSCs in cell-based therapy, including the next-generation cancer immunotherapy, are provided. Lastly, we discuss the current challenges that need to be addressed to fulfill the validity of hiPSC-based disease modeling and future perspectives of hiPSCs in the field of hematology.
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Qiu L, Xie M, Zhou M, Liu X, Hu Z, Wu L. Restoration of FVIII Function and Phenotypic Rescue in Hemophilia A Mice by Transplantation of MSCs Derived From F8-Modified iPSCs. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:630353. [PMID: 33644070 PMCID: PMC7905062 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.630353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HA), an X-linked recessive congenital bleeding disorder, affects 80%–85% of patients with hemophilia. Nearly half of severe cases of hemophilia are caused by a 0.6-Mb genomic inversion (Inv22) that disrupts F8. Although viral-based gene therapy has shown therapeutic effects for hemophilia B (HB), this promising approach is not applicable for HA at the present stage; this limitation is mainly due to the large size of F8 cDNA, which far exceeds the adeno-associated virus (AAV) packaging capacity. We previously reported an in situ genetic correction of Inv22 in HA patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (HA-iPSCs) by using TALENs. We also investigated an alternative strategy for targeted gene addition, in which cDNA of the B-domain deleted F8 (BDDF8) was targeted at the rDNA locus of HA-iPSCs using TALENickases to restore FVIII function. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have low immunogenicity and can secrete FVIII under physiological conditions; in this study, MSCs were differentiated from F8-corrected iPSCs, BDDF8-iPSCs, and HA-iPSCs. Differentiated MSCs were characterized, and FVIII expression efficacy in MSCs was verified in vitro. The three types of MSCs were introduced into HA mice via intravenous injection. Long-term engraftment with restoration of FVIII function and phenotypic rescue was observed in HA mice transplanted with F8-corrected iMSCs and BDDF8-iMSCs. Our findings suggest that ex vivo gene therapy using iMSCs derived from F8-modified iPSCs can be feasible, effective, and promising for the clinical translation of therapeutic gene editing of HA and other genetic birth defects, particularly those that involve large sequence variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyan Qiu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetic, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Mi Xie
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetic, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Miaojin Zhou
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetic, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xionghao Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetic, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhiqing Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetic, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lingqian Wu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetic, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China
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Zeng B, Zhou M, Liu B, Shen F, Xiao R, Su J, Hu Z, Zhang Y, Gu A, Wu L, Liu X, Liang D. Targeted addition of mini-dystrophin into rDNA locus of Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient-derived iPSCs. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 545:40-45. [PMID: 33540285 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.01.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the most common lethal muscular disorder, affects 1 in 5000 male births. It is caused by mutations in the X-linked dystrophin gene (DMD), and there is no effective treatment currently. Gene addition is a promising strategy owing to its universality for patients with all gene mutations types. In this study, we describe a site-specific gene addition strategy in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from a DMD patient with exon 50 deletion. By using transcription activator-like effector nickases (TALENickases), the mini-dystrophin cassette was precisely targeted at the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) locus via homologous recombination with high targeting efficiency. The targeted clone retained the main pluripotent properties and was differentiated into cardiomyocytes. Significantly, the dystrophin expression and membrane localization were restored in the genetic corrected iPSCs and their derived cardiomyocytes. More importantly, the enhanced spontaneous contraction was observed in modified cardiomyocytes. These results provide a proof of principle for an efficient targeted gene addition for DMD gene therapy and represents a significant step toward precisely therapeutic for DMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baitao Zeng
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Miaojin Zhou
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Bo Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Fei Shen
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Rou Xiao
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Jiasun Su
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Zhiqing Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Yiti Zhang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Ao Gu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Lingqian Wu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; Hunan Jiahui Genetics Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
| | - Xionghao Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China.
| | - Desheng Liang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China; Hunan Jiahui Genetics Hospital, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China.
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Ebrahimi M, Forouzesh M, Raoufi S, Ramazii M, Ghaedrahmati F, Farzaneh M. Differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into erythroid cells. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:483. [PMID: 33198819 PMCID: PMC7667818 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01998-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
During the last years, several strategies have been made to obtain mature erythrocytes or red blood cells (RBC) from the bone marrow or umbilical cord blood (UCB). However, UCB-derived hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are a limited source and in vitro large-scale expansion of RBC from HSC remains problematic. One promising alternative can be human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) that provide an unlimited source of cells. Human PSCs, including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), are self-renewing progenitors that can be differentiated to lineages of ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. Several previous studies have revealed that human ESCs can differentiate into functional oxygen-carrying erythrocytes; however, the ex vivo expansion of human ESC-derived RBC is subjected to ethical concerns. Human iPSCs can be a suitable therapeutic choice for the in vitro/ex vivo manufacture of RBCs. Reprogramming of human somatic cells through the ectopic expression of the transcription factors (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, c-MYC, LIN28, and NANOG) has provided a new avenue for disease modeling and regenerative medicine. Various techniques have been developed to generate enucleated RBCs from human iPSCs. The in vitro production of human iPSC-derived RBCs can be an alternative treatment option for patients with blood disorders. In this review, we focused on the generation of human iPSC-derived erythrocytes to present an overview of the current status and applications of this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Ebrahimi
- Neonatal and Children's Health Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Mehdi Forouzesh
- Legal Medicine Organization of Iran, Legal Medicine Research Center, Legal Medicine organization, Tehran, Iran
| | - Setareh Raoufi
- Faculty of Medical Sciences and Technologies, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Ramazii
- Kerman University of Medical Sciences, University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran
| | - Farhoodeh Ghaedrahmati
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Maryam Farzaneh
- Physiology Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
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Haddad-Mashadrizeh A, Hemmat J, Aslamkhan M. Intronic regions of the human coagulation factor VIII gene harboring transcription factor binding sites with a strong bias towards the short-interspersed elements. Heliyon 2020; 6:e04727. [PMID: 32944665 PMCID: PMC7481535 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e04727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Increasing data show that intronic derived regulatory elements, such as transcription factor binding sites (TFBs), play key roles in gene regulation, and malfunction. Accordingly, characterizing the sequence context of the intronic regions of the human coagulation factor VIII (hFVIII) gene can be important. In this study, the intronic regions of the hFVIII gene were scrutinized based on in-silico methods. The results disclosed that these regions harbor a rich array of functional elements such as repetitive elements (REs), splicing sites, and transcription factor binding sites (TFBs). Among these elements, TFBs and REs showed a significant distribution and correlation to each other. This survey indicated that 31% of TFBs are localized in the intronic regions of the gene. Moreover, TFBs indicate a strong bias in the regions far from splice sites of introns with mapping to different REs. Accordingly, TFBs showed highly bias toward Short Interspersed Elements (SINEs), which in turn they covering about 12% of the total of REs. However, the distribution pattern of TFBs-REs showed different bias in the intronic regions, spatially into the Introns 13 and 25. The rich array of SINE-TFBs and CR1-TFBs were situated within 5′UTR of the gene that may be an important driving force for regulatory innovation of the hFVIII gene. Taken together, these data may lead to revealing intronic regions with the capacity to renewing gene regulatory networks of the hFVIII gene. On the other hand, these correlations might provide the novel idea for a new hypothesis of molecular evolution of the FVIII gene, and treatment of Hemophilia A which should be considered in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aliakbar Haddad-Mashadrizeh
- Recombinant Proteins Research Group, Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Jafar Hemmat
- Biotechnology Department, Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST), Tehran, Iran
| | - Muhammad Aslamkhan
- Human Genetics & Molecular Biology Dept., University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.,Honorary Senior Lecturer in the School of the Medicine University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Chaudhari N, Rickard AM, Roy S, Dröge P, Makhija H. A non-viral genome editing platform for site-specific insertion of large transgenes. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:380. [PMID: 32883366 PMCID: PMC7650303 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01890-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The precise, functional and safe insertion of large DNA payloads into host genomes offers versatility in downstream genetic engineering-associated applications, spanning cell and gene therapies, therapeutic protein production, high-throughput cell-based drug screening and reporter cell lines amongst others. Employing viral- and non-viral-based genome engineering tools to achieve specific insertion of large DNA-despite being successful in E. coli and animal models-still pose challenges in the human system. In this study, we demonstrate the applicability of our lambda integrase-based genome insertion tool for human cell and gene therapy applications that require insertions of large functional genes, as exemplified by the integration of a functional copy of the F8 gene and a Double Homeobox Protein 4 (DUX4)-based reporter cassette for potential hemophilia A gene therapy and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD)-based high-throughput drug screening purposes, respectively. Thus, we present a non-viral genome insertion tool for safe and functional delivery of large seamless DNA cargo into the human genome that can enable novel designer cell-based therapies. METHODS Previously, we have demonstrated the utility of our phage λ-integrase platform to generate seamless vectors and subsequently achieve functional integration of large-sized DNA payloads at defined loci in the human genome. To further explore this tool for therapeutic applications, we used pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to integrate large seamless vectors comprising a 'gene of interest'. Clonal cell populations were screened for the correct integration events and further characterized by southern blotting, gene expression and protein activity assays. In the case of our hemophilia A-related study, clones were differentiated to confirm that the targeted locus is active after differentiation and actively express and secrete Factor VIII. RESULTS The two independent approaches demonstrated specific and functional insertions of a full-length blood clotting F8 expression cassette of ~ 10 kb and of a DUX4 reporter cassette of ~ 7 kb in hESCs. CONCLUSION We present a versatile tool for site-specific human genome engineering with large transgenes for cell/gene therapies and other synthetic biology and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namrata Chaudhari
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Amanda M Rickard
- Genea Biocells, 11099 North Torrey Pines Road, Suite 210, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Suki Roy
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Republic of Singapore
| | - Peter Dröge
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Harshyaa Makhija
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Republic of Singapore.
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12
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Zhou M, Hu Z, Zhang C, Wu L, Li Z, Liang D. Gene Therapy for Hemophilia A: Where We Stand. Curr Gene Ther 2020; 20:142-151. [PMID: 32767930 DOI: 10.2174/1566523220666200806110849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HA) is a hereditary hemorrhagic disease caused by a deficiency of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) in blood plasma. Patients with HA usually suffer from spontaneous and recurrent bleeding in joints and muscles, or even intracerebral hemorrhage, which might lead to disability or death. Although the disease is currently manageable via delivery of plasma-derived or recombinant FVIII, this approach is costly, and neutralizing antibodies may be generated in a large portion of patients, which render the regimens ineffective and inaccessible. Given the monogenic nature of HA and that a slight increase in FVIII can remarkably alleviate the phenotypes, HA has been considered to be a suitable target disease for gene therapy. Consequently, the introduction of a functional F8 gene copy into the appropriate target cells via viral or nonviral delivery vectors, including gene correction through genome editing approaches, could ultimately provide an effective therapeutic method for HA patients. In this review, we discuss the recent progress of gene therapy for HA with viral and nonviral delivery vectors, including piggyBac, lentiviral and adeno-associated viral vectors, as well as new raising issues involving liver toxicity, pre-existing neutralizing antibodies of viral approach, and the selection of the target cell type for nonviral delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaojin Zhou
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
| | - Zhiqing Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
| | - Chunhua Zhang
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
| | - Lingqian Wu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
| | - Zhuo Li
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
| | - Desheng Liang
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China
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14
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Rose M, Gao K, Cortez-Toledo E, Agu E, Hyllen AA, Conroy K, Pan G, Nolta JA, Wang A, Zhou P. Endothelial cells derived from patients' induced pluripotent stem cells for sustained factor VIII delivery and the treatment of hemophilia A. Stem Cells Transl Med 2020; 9:686-696. [PMID: 32162786 PMCID: PMC7214661 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.19-0261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HA) is a bleeding disorder characterized by spontaneous and prolonged hemorrhage. The disease is caused by mutations in the coagulation factor 8 gene (F8) leading to factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. Since FVIII is primarily produced in endothelial cells (ECs) in a non‐diseased human being, ECs hold great potential for development as a cell therapy for HA. We showed that HA patient‐specific induced pluripotent stem cells (HA‐iPSCs) could provide a renewable supply of ECs. The HA‐iPSC‐derived ECs were transduced with lentiviral vectors to stably express the functional B domain deleted F8 gene, the luciferase gene, and the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene (GFP). When transplanted intramuscularly into neonatal and adult immune deficient mice, the HA‐iPSC‐derived ECs were retained in the animals for at least 10‐16 weeks and maintained their expression of FVIII, GFP, and the endothelial marker CD31, as demonstrated by bioluminescence imaging and immunostaining, respectively. When transplanted into HA mice, these transduced HA‐iPSC‐derived ECs significantly reduced blood loss in a tail‐clip bleeding test and produced therapeutic plasma levels (11.2%‐369.2%) of FVIII. Thus, our studies provide proof‐of‐concept that HA‐iPSC‐derived ECs can serve as a factory to deliver FVIII for the treatment of HA not only in adults but also in newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Rose
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California
| | - Kewa Gao
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California.,Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, California
| | - Elizabeth Cortez-Toledo
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California
| | - Emmanuel Agu
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California
| | - Alicia A Hyllen
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California
| | - Kelsey Conroy
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California
| | - Guangjin Pan
- Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jan A Nolta
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California.,University of California Davis Gene Therapy Center, Sacramento, California
| | - Aijun Wang
- Department of Surgery, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California.,Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Sacramento, California.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Ping Zhou
- Stem Cell Program, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California.,University of California Davis Gene Therapy Center, Sacramento, California
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15
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ssODN-Mediated In-Frame Deletion with CRISPR/Cas9 Restores FVIII Function in Hemophilia A-Patient-Derived iPSCs and ECs. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2019; 17:198-209. [PMID: 31261034 PMCID: PMC6610636 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Given that the cDNA of F8 is too large to be packaged into adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsids, gene transfer of some versions of B-domain-deleted F8 (BDD-F8) for hemophilia A (HA) treatment has been attempted with promising results. Here, we describe an efficient gene correction via single-stranded-oligodeoxynucleotide (ssODN)-mediated in-frame deletion within the B domain of F8 with CRISPR/Cas9 in HA-patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (HA-iPSCs). The expression and activity of FVIII was restored in corrected HA-iPSC-derived induced endothelial progenitor cells (C-iEPCs) in vitro and in vivo. The bleeding phenotype was rescued in HA mice after C-iEPC infusion. Our results demonstrate an efficient approach for in situ gene correction via introduction of a tiny deletion using ssODN and CRISPR/Cas9 to reframe the F8 transcript and restore FVIII function in HA-iPSC-derived EPCs with potential clinical impact in HA gene therapy. For the first time, we demonstrated in vitro and in vivo the FVIII function that is encoded by the endogenous F8 gene with a partially deleted B domain. This work also suggests an applicable strategy for genetic correction of other gene frameshift mutations.
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16
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Georgomanoli M, Papapetrou EP. Modeling blood diseases with human induced pluripotent stem cells. Dis Model Mech 2019; 12:12/6/dmm039321. [PMID: 31171568 PMCID: PMC6602313 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.039321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are derived from somatic cells through a reprogramming process, which converts them to a pluripotent state, akin to that of embryonic stem cells. Over the past decade, iPSC models have found increasing applications in the study of human diseases, with blood disorders featuring prominently. Here, we discuss methodological aspects pertaining to iPSC generation, hematopoietic differentiation and gene editing, and provide an overview of uses of iPSCs in modeling the cell and gene therapy of inherited genetic blood disorders, as well as their more recent use as models of myeloid malignancies. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of iPSCs compared to model organisms and other cellular systems commonly used in hematology research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Georgomanoli
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Eirini P Papapetrou
- Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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17
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Kuroki-Kami A, Nichuguti N, Yatabe H, Mizuno S, Kawamura S, Fujiwara H. Targeted gene knockin in zebrafish using the 28S rDNA-specific non-LTR-retrotransposon R2Ol. Mob DNA 2019; 10:23. [PMID: 31139267 PMCID: PMC6530143 DOI: 10.1186/s13100-019-0167-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Although most of long interspersed elements (LINEs), one class of non-LTR-retrotransposons, are integrated into the host genome randomely, some elements are retrotransposed into the specific sequences of the genomic regions, such as rRNA gene (rDNA) clusters, telomeric repeats and other repetitive sequenes. Most of the sequence-specific LINEs have been reported mainly among invertebrate species and shown to retrotranspose into the specific sequences in vivo and in vitro systems. Recenlty, 28S rDNA-specific LINE R2 elements are shown to be distributed among widespread vertebrate species, but the sequence-specific retrotransposition of R2 has never been demonstrated in vertebrates. Results Here we cloned a full length unit of R2 from medaka fish Oryzias latipes, named R2Ol, and engineered it to a targeted gene integration tool in zebrafish. By injecting R2Ol-encoding mRNA into zebrafish embryos, R2Ol retrotransposed precisely into the target site at high efficiency (98%) and was transmitted to the next generation at high frequency (50%). We also generated transgenic zebrafish carrying the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter gene in 28S rDNA target by the R2Ol retrotransposition system. Conclusions Sequence-specific LINE retrotransposes into the precise sequence using target primed reverse transcription (TPRT), possibly providing an alternative and effective targeted gene knockin method in vertebrates. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13100-019-0167-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azusa Kuroki-Kami
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bioscience Bldg., Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562 Japan
| | - Narisu Nichuguti
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bioscience Bldg., Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562 Japan
| | - Haruka Yatabe
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bioscience Bldg., Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562 Japan
| | - Sayaka Mizuno
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bioscience Bldg., Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562 Japan
| | - Shoji Kawamura
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bioscience Bldg., Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562 Japan
| | - Haruhiko Fujiwara
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bioscience Bldg., Kashiwanoha 5-1-5, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8562 Japan
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18
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Park CY, Sung JJ, Cho SR, Kim J, Kim DW. Universal Correction of Blood Coagulation Factor VIII in Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using CRISPR/Cas9. Stem Cell Reports 2019; 12:1242-1249. [PMID: 31105049 PMCID: PMC6565751 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2019.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia A (HA) is caused by genetic mutations in the blood coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) gene. Genome-editing approaches can be used to target the mutated site itself in patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). However, these approaches can be hampered by difficulty in preparing thousands of editing platforms for each corresponding variant found in HA patients. Here, we report a universal approach to correct the various mutations in HA patient iPSCs by the targeted insertion of the FVIII gene into the human H11 site via CRISPR/Cas9. We derived corrected clones from two types of patient iPSCs with frequencies of up to 64% and 66%, respectively, without detectable unwanted off-target mutations. Moreover, we demonstrated that endothelial cells differentiated from the corrected iPSCs successfully secreted functional protein. This strategy may provide a universal therapeutic method for correcting all genetic variants found in HA patients. Two types of FVIII mutations were corrected using Cas9-mediated KI in patient iPSCs Targeted KI of the FVIII into the H11 site induced the production of functional protein Whole-genome sequencing analyses revealed no off-target mutations in the corrected iPSCs
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Affiliation(s)
- Chul-Yong Park
- Department of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea; Severance Biomedical Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Jin Jea Sung
- Department of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea; Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Sung-Rae Cho
- Department and Research Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea
| | - Jongwan Kim
- S.Biomedics Co., Ltd, 28 Seongsui-ro, 26-gil, Seongdong-gu, Seoul 04797, Korea
| | - Dong-Wook Kim
- Department of Physiology, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea; Severance Biomedical Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea; Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul 03722, Korea.
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19
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Recent Updates on Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Hematological Disorders. Stem Cells Int 2019; 2019:5171032. [PMID: 31191673 PMCID: PMC6525795 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5171032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, enormous progress has been made in the field of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). Patients' somatic cells such as skin fibroblasts or blood cells can be used to generate disease-specific pluripotent stem cells, which have unlimited proliferation and can differentiate into all cell types of the body. Human iPSCs offer great promises and opportunities for treatments of degenerative diseases and studying disease pathology and drug screening. So far, many iPSC-derived disease models have led to the discovery of novel pathological mechanisms as well as new drugs in the pipeline that have been tested in the iPSC-derived cells for efficacy and potential toxicities. Furthermore, recent advances in genome editing technology in combination with the iPSC technology have provided a versatile platform for studying stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. In this review, an overview of iPSCs, patient-specific iPSCs for disease modeling and drug screening, applications of iPSCs and genome editing technology in hematological disorders, remaining challenges, and future perspectives of iPSCs in hematological diseases will be discussed.
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20
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Zhou M, Hu Z, Qiu L, Zhou T, Feng M, Hu Q, Zeng B, Li Z, Sun Q, Wu Y, Liu X, Wu L, Liang D. Seamless Genetic Conversion of SMN2 to SMN1 via CRISPR/Cpf1 and Single-Stranded Oligodeoxynucleotides in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. Hum Gene Ther 2018; 29:1252-1263. [PMID: 29598153 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2017.255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a kind of neuromuscular disease characterized by progressive motor neuron loss in the spinal cord. It is caused by mutations in the survival motor neuron 1 (SMN1) gene. SMN1 has a paralogous gene, survival motor neuron 2 (SMN2), in humans that is present in almost all SMA patients. The generation and genetic correction of SMA patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is a viable, autologous therapeutic strategy for the disease. Here, c-Myc-free and non-integrating iPSCs were generated from the urine cells of an SMA patient using an episomal iPSC reprogramming vector, and a unique crRNA was designed that does not have similar sequences (≤3 mismatches) anywhere in the human reference genome. In situ gene conversion of the SMN2 gene to an SMN1-like gene in SMA-iPSCs was achieved using CRISPR/Cpf1 and single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotide with a high efficiency of 4/36. Seamlessly gene-converted iPSC lines contained no exogenous sequences and retained a normal karyotype. Significantly, the SMN expression and gems localization were rescued in the gene-converted iPSCs and their derived motor neurons. This is the first report of an efficient gene conversion mediated by Cpf1 homology-directed repair in human cells and may provide a universal gene therapeutic approach for most SMA patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaojin Zhou
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Zhiqing Hu
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Liyan Qiu
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Tao Zhou
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Mai Feng
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Qian Hu
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Baitao Zeng
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Zhuo Li
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Qianru Sun
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Yong Wu
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Xionghao Liu
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
| | - Lingqian Wu
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
- 2 Hunan Jiahui Genetics Hospital, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Desheng Liang
- 1 Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University , Hunan, China
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21
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Wang Y, Zhao J, Duan N, Liu W, Zhang Y, Zhou M, Hu Z, Feng M, Liu X, Wu L, Li Z, Liang D. Paired CRISPR/Cas9 Nickases Mediate Efficient Site-Specific Integration of F9 into rDNA Locus of Mouse ESCs. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19103035. [PMID: 30301136 PMCID: PMC6213315 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19103035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Hemophilia B (HB) is an X-linked recessive bleeding disorder, caused by F9 gene deficiency. Gene therapy combined with the CRISPR/Cas9 technology offers a potential cure for hemophilia B. Now the Cas9 nickase (Cas9n) shows a great advantage in reducing off-target effect compared with wild-type Cas9. In this study, we found that in the multicopy ribosomal DNA (rDNA) locus, the homology directed recombination (HDR) efficiency induced by sgRNA-Cas9n was much higher than sgRNA-Cas9, meanwhile without off-target in six predicted sites. After co-transfection into mESCs with sgRNA-Cas9n and a non-viral rDNA targeting vector pMrnF9, harboring the homology donor template and the human F9 expression cassette, a recombination efficiency of 66.7% was achieved and all targeted clones were confirmed to be site-specific integration of F9 in the rDNA locus by PCR and southern blotting. Targeted mESCs retained the main pluripotent properties and were then differentiated into hepatic progenitor like cells (HPLCs) and mature hepatocytes, which were characterized by hepatic markers and functional assays. Importantly, the differentiated cells could transcribe exogenous F9 and secrete coagulation factor IX (FIX) proteins, suggesting active transcription and stable inheritance of transgenes in the rDNA locus. After intrasplenical transplantation in severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) mice, targeted HPLCs could survive and migrate from spleen to liver, resulting in secretion of exogenous FIX into blood. In summary, we demonstrate an efficient and site-specific gene targeting strategy in rDNA locus for stem cell-based gene therapy for hemophilia B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanchi Wang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Junya Zhao
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Nannan Duan
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Wei Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Yuxuan Zhang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Miaojin Zhou
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Zhiqing Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Mai Feng
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Xionghao Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Lingqian Wu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Zhuo Li
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
| | - Desheng Liang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha 410000, China.
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22
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Hu Z, Wu Y, Zhou M, Wang X, Pang J, Li Z, Feng M, Wang Y, Hu Q, Zhao J, Liu X, Wu L, Liang D. Generation of reporter hESCs by targeting EGFP at the CD144 locus to facilitate the endothelial differentiation. Dev Growth Differ 2018; 60:205-215. [PMID: 29696633 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Reporter embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines with tissue-specific reporter genes may contribute to optimizing the differentiation conditions in vitro as well as trafficking transplanted cells in vivo. To optimize and monitor endothelial cell (EC) differentiation specifically, here we targeted the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter gene at the junction of 5'UTR and exon2 of the endothelial specific marker gene CD144 using TALENs in human ESCs (H9) to generate a EGFP-CD144-reporter ESC line. The reporter cells expressed EGFP and CD144 increasingly and specifically without unexpected effects during the EC differentiation. The EC differentiation protocol was optimized and applied to EC differentiation from hiPSCs, resulting in an efficient and simplified endothelial differentiation approach. Here we created our own optimized and robust protocol for EC differentiation of hESCs and hiPSCs by generating the lineage-specific site-specific integration reporter cell lines, showing great potential to be applied in the fields such as trafficking gene and cell fate in vivo in preclinical animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqing Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yong Wu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Miaojin Zhou
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xiaolin Wang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Jialun Pang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhuo Li
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Mai Feng
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Yanchi Wang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qian Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Junya Zhao
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Xionghao Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lingqian Wu
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Desheng Liang
- Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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23
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Lyu C, Shen J, Wang R, Gu H, Zhang J, Xue F, Liu X, Liu W, Fu R, Zhang L, Li H, Zhang X, Cheng T, Yang R, Zhang L. Targeted genome engineering in human induced pluripotent stem cells from patients with hemophilia B using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. Stem Cell Res Ther 2018; 9:92. [PMID: 29625575 PMCID: PMC5889534 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-018-0839-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Replacement therapy for hemophilia remains a lifelong treatment. Only gene therapy can cure hemophilia at a fundamental level. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats–CRISPR associated nuclease 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) system is a versatile and convenient genome editing tool which can be applied to gene therapy for hemophilia. Methods A patient’s induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) using episomal vectors. The AAVS1-Cas9-sgRNA plasmid which targets the AAVS1 locus and the AAVS1-EF1α-F9 cDNA-puromycin donor plasmid were constructed, and they were electroporated into the iPSCs. When insertion of F9 cDNA into the AAVS1 locus was confirmed, whole genome sequencing (WGS) was carried out to detect the off-target issue. The iPSCs were then differentiated into hepatocytes, and human factor IX (hFIX) antigen and activity were measured in the culture supernatant. Finally, the hepatocytes were transplanted into non-obese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficiency disease (NOD/SCID) mice through splenic injection. Results The patient’s iPSCs were generated from PBMNCs. Human full-length F9 cDNA was inserted into the AAVS1 locus of iPSCs of a hemophilia B patient using the CRISPR-Cas9 system. No off-target mutations were detected by WGS. The hepatocytes differentiated from the inserted iPSCs could secrete hFIX stably and had the ability to be transplanted into the NOD/SCID mice in the short term. Conclusions PBMNCs are good somatic cell choices for generating iPSCs from hemophilia patients. The iPSC technique is a good tool for genetic therapy for human hereditary diseases. CRISPR-Cas9 is versatile, convenient, and safe to be used in iPSCs with low off-target effects. Our research offers new approaches for clinical gene therapy for hemophilia. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13287-018-0839-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuicui Lyu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China.,Department of Hematology, The First Central Hospital of Tianjin, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Jun Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Rui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Haihui Gu
- Department of Transfusion Medicine, Shanghai Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 168 Changhai Road, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jianping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Feng Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Xiaofan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Rongfeng Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Liyan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Huiyuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Xiaobing Zhang
- Division of Regenerative Medicine MC1528B, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University, 11234 Anderson Street, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Tao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Renchi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Key Laboratory of Gene Therapy of Blood Diseases, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, 288 Nanjing Road, Tianjin, 300020, China.
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24
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Feng M, Liu C, Xia Y, Liu B, Zhou M, Li Z, Sun Q, Hu Z, Wang Y, Wu L, Liu X, Liang D. Restoration of SMN expression in mesenchymal stem cells derived from gene-targeted patient-specific iPSCs. J Mol Histol 2017; 49:27-37. [DOI: 10.1007/s10735-017-9744-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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25
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Zhu P, Duan AQ, Deng TX, Lu XR, Ma XY, Liang SS, Pang CY, Liang XW. Generation of buffalo mammary epithelial cells with targeted knockout of 18s rDNA by a CRISPR/Cas9 adenovirus system. BIOTECHNOL BIOPROC E 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12257-017-0094-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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26
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Nienhuis AW, Nathwani AC, Davidoff AM. Gene Therapy for Hemophilia. Mol Ther 2017; 25:1163-1167. [PMID: 28411016 PMCID: PMC5417837 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The X-linked bleeding disorder hemophilia causes frequent and exaggerated bleeding that can be life-threatening if untreated. Conventional therapy requires frequent intravenous infusions of the missing coagulation protein (factor VIII [FVIII] for hemophilia A and factor IX [FIX] for hemophilia B). However, a lasting cure through gene therapy has long been sought. After a series of successes in small and large animal models, this goal has finally been achieved in humans by in vivo gene transfer to the liver using adeno-associated viral (AAV) vectors. In fact, multiple recent clinical trials have shown therapeutic, and in some cases curative, expression. At the same time, cellular immune responses against the virus have emerged as an obstacle in humans, potentially resulting in loss of expression. Transient immune suppression protocols have been developed to blunt these responses. Here, we provide an overview of the clinical development of AAV gene transfer for hemophilia, as well as an outlook on future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur W Nienhuis
- Division of Experimental Hematology, Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA.
| | - Amit C Nathwani
- Department of Haematology, University College London Cancer Institute, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Andrew M Davidoff
- Department of Surgery, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
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27
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Lyu C, Shen J, Zhang J, Xue F, Liu X, Liu W, Fu R, Zhang L, Li H, Zhang D, Zhang X, Cheng T, Yang R, Zhang L. The State of Skewed X Chromosome Inactivation is Retained in the Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from a Female with Hemophilia B. Stem Cells Dev 2017; 26:1003-1011. [PMID: 28401797 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2016.0323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Skewed X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is a rare reason for hemophilia B in females. It is indefinite whether X chromosome reactivation (XCR) would occur when cells of hemophilia B patients with skewed XCI were reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). In this study, we investigated a female hemophilia B patient with a known F9 gene mutation: c.676C>T, p.Arg226Trp. We demonstrated that skewed XCI was the pathogenesis of the patient, and we successfully generated numerous iPSC colonies of the patient from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs), which was the first time for generating hemophilia-specific iPSCs from PBMNCs. Then we detected the XCI state of these iPSCs. Ninety-two iPSC lines were picked for XCI analysis. All of them retained an inactive X chromosome, which could be proved by amplification of the androgen receptor gene and XIST (X inactivation-specific transcript), expression of H3K27me3, and existence of XIST clouds in XIST RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. We attempted to obtain iPSC lines with the wild-type F9 gene on the active X chromosome for further disease treatment. But it turned out that the patient's iPSCs were still skewed such as the somatic cells with 92 iPSC lines having mutant F9 on the active X chromosome. In conclusion, skewed XCI is one reason for hemophilia in females. PBMNCs are excellent somatic cell resources for hemophilia patients to do reprogramming. More attentions should be paid to generate naive iPSCs with two active X chromosomes for further clinical disease treatment. The state of skewed XCI is retained in the iPSCs from a female with hemophilia B.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuicui Lyu
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China .,2 Department of Hematology, The First Central Hospital of Tianjin , Tianjin, China
| | - Jun Shen
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Jianping Zhang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Feng Xue
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaofan Liu
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Wei Liu
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Rongfeng Fu
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Liyan Zhang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Huiyuan Li
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Donglei Zhang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaobing Zhang
- 3 Division of Regenerative Medicine MC1528B, Department of Medicine, Loma Linda University , Loma Linda, California
| | - Tao Cheng
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Renchi Yang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Institute of Hematology and Blood Disease Hospital , Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, China
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28
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Park CY, Lee DR, Sung JJ, Kim DW. Genome-editing technologies for gene correction of hemophilia. Hum Genet 2016; 135:977-81. [PMID: 27357631 PMCID: PMC4999461 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-016-1699-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hemophilia is caused by various mutations in blood coagulation factor genes, including factor VIII (FVIII) and factor IX (FIX), that encode key proteins in the blood clotting pathway. Although the addition of therapeutic genes or infusion of clotting factors may be used to remedy hemophilia's symptoms, no permanent cure for the disease exists. Moreover, patients often develop neutralizing antibodies or experience adverse effects that limit the therapy's benefits. However, targeted gene therapy involving the precise correction of these mutated genes at the genome level using programmable nucleases is a promising strategy. These nucleases can induce double-strand breaks (DSBs) on genomes, and repairs of such induced DSBs by the two cellular repair systems enable a targeted gene correction. Going beyond cultured cell systems, we are now entering the age of direct gene correction in vivo using various delivery tools. Here, we describe the current status of in vivo and ex vivo genome-editing technology related to potential hemophilia gene correction and the prominent issues surrounding its application in patients with monogenic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chul-Yong Park
- Department of Physiology and Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Korea
| | - Dongjin R Lee
- Department of Physiology and Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Korea
| | - Jin Jea Sung
- Department of Physiology and Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Korea
| | - Dong-Wook Kim
- Department of Physiology and Brain Korea 21 Plus Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03722, Korea.
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