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Hurley K, Ozaki M, Philippot Q, Galvin L, Crosby D, Kirwan M, Gill DR, Alysandratos KD, Jenkins G, Griese M, Nathan N, Borie R. A roadmap to precision treatments for familial pulmonary fibrosis. EBioMedicine 2024; 104:105135. [PMID: 38718684 PMCID: PMC11096859 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2024.105135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) in adults and children (chILD) are a heterogeneous group of lung disorders leading to inflammation, abnormal tissue repair and scarring of the lung parenchyma often resulting in respiratory failure and death. Inherited factors directly cause, or contribute significantly to the risk of developing ILD, so called familial pulmonary fibrosis (FPF), and monogenic forms may have a poor prognosis and respond poorly to current treatments. Specific, variant-targeted or precision treatments are lacking. Clinical trials of repurposed drugs, anti-fibrotic medications and specific treatments are emerging but for many patients no interventions exist. We convened an expert working group to develop an overarching framework to address the existing research gaps in basic, translational, and clinical research and identified areas for future development of preclinical models, candidate medications and innovative clinical trials. In this Position Paper, we summarise working group discussions, recommendations, and unresolved questions concerning precision treatments for FPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Killian Hurley
- Department of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Education and Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland; Tissue Engineering Research Group, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland.
| | - Mari Ozaki
- Department of Medicine, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Education and Research Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9, Ireland; Tissue Engineering Research Group, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Quentin Philippot
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm, PHERE, Hôpital Bichat, AP-HP, Service de Pneumologie A, Centre Constitutif du Centre de Référence des Maladies Pulmonaires Rares, FHU APOLLO, Paris, France; Physiopathology and Epidemiology of Respiratory Diseases, Inserm U1152, UFR de Médecine, Université Paris Cité, 75018, Paris, France
| | - Liam Galvin
- European Pulmonary Fibrosis Federation, Overijse, Belgium
| | | | - Mary Kirwan
- Department of General Practice, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Deborah R Gill
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom; Gene Medicine Research Group, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (NDCLS), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Konstantinos-Dionysios Alysandratos
- Center for Regenerative Medicine, Boston University and Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, 02118, USA; The Pulmonary Center and Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Gisli Jenkins
- Imperial College London, 4615, National Heart & Lung Institute, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Matthias Griese
- Department of Pediatric Pneumology, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Nadia Nathan
- Sorbonne Université, Pediatric Pulmonology and Reference Center for Rare Lung Diseases RespiRare, Inserm U933 Laboratory of Childhood Genetic Diseases, Armand Trousseau Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Raphael Borie
- Université Paris Cité, Inserm, PHERE, Hôpital Bichat, AP-HP, Service de Pneumologie A, Centre Constitutif du Centre de Référence des Maladies Pulmonaires Rares, FHU APOLLO, Paris, France
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2
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Shen G, Liu J, Yang H, Xie N, Yang Y. mRNA therapies: Pioneering a new era in rare genetic disease treatment. J Control Release 2024; 369:696-721. [PMID: 38580137 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.03.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Rare genetic diseases, often referred to as orphan diseases due to their low prevalence and limited treatment options, have long posed significant challenges to our medical system. In recent years, Messenger RNA (mRNA) therapy has emerged as a highly promising treatment approach for various diseases caused by genetic mutations. Chemically modified mRNA is introduced into cells using carriers like lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs), producing functional proteins that compensate for genetic deficiencies. Given the advantages of precise dosing, biocompatibility, transient expression, and minimal risk of genomic integration, mRNA therapies can safely and effectively correct genetic defects in rare diseases and improve symptoms. Currently, dozens of mRNA drugs targeting rare diseases are undergoing clinical trials. This comprehensive review summarizes the progress of mRNA therapy in treating rare genetic diseases. It introduces the development, molecular design, and delivery systems of mRNA therapy, highlighting their research progress in rare genetic diseases based on protein replacement and gene editing. The review also summarizes research progress in various rare disease models and clinical trials. Additionally, it discusses the challenges and future prospects of mRNA therapy. Researchers are encouraged to join this field and collaborate to advance the clinical translation of mRNA therapy, bringing hope to patients with rare genetic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guobo Shen
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jian Liu
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Hanmei Yang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Na Xie
- West China School of Basic Medical Sciences and Forensic Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Yang Yang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Department of Ophthalmology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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3
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Jaber N, Billet S. How to use an in vitro approach to characterize the toxicity of airborne compounds. Toxicol In Vitro 2024; 94:105718. [PMID: 37871865 DOI: 10.1016/j.tiv.2023.105718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
As part of the development of new approach methodologies (NAMs), numerous in vitro methods are being developed to characterize the potential toxicity of inhalable xenobiotics (gases, volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, particulate matter, nanoparticles). However, the materials and methods employed are extremely diverse, and no single method is currently in use. Method standardization and validation would raise trust in the results and enable them to be compared. This four-part review lists and compares biological models and exposure methodologies before describing measurable biomarkers of exposure or effect. The first section emphasizes the importance of developing alternative methods to reduce, if not replace, animal testing (3R principle). The biological models presented are mostly to cultures of epithelial cells from the respiratory system, as the lungs are the first organ to come into contact with air pollutants. Monocultures or cocultures of primary cells or cell lines, as well as 3D organotypic cultures such as organoids, spheroids and reconstituted tissues, but also the organ(s) model on a chip are examples. The exposure methods for these biological models applicable to airborne compounds are submerged, intermittent, continuous either static or dynamic. Finally, within the restrictions of these models (i.e. relative tiny quantities, adhering cells), the mechanisms of toxicity and the phenotypic markers most commonly examined in models exposed at the air-liquid interface (ALI) are outlined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nour Jaber
- UR4492, Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France
| | - Sylvain Billet
- UR4492, Unité de Chimie Environnementale et Interactions sur le Vivant, Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale, Dunkerque, France.
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4
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Kolanko E, Cargnoni A, Papait A, Silini AR, Czekaj P, Parolini O. The evolution of in vitro models of lung fibrosis: promising prospects for drug discovery. Eur Respir Rev 2024; 33:230127. [PMID: 38232990 DOI: 10.1183/16000617.0127-2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Lung fibrosis is a complex process, with unknown underlying mechanisms, involving various triggers, diseases and stimuli. Different cell types (epithelial cells, endothelial cells, fibroblasts and macrophages) interact dynamically through multiple signalling pathways, including biochemical/molecular and mechanical signals, such as stiffness, affecting cell function and differentiation. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common fibrosing interstitial lung disease (fILD), characterised by a notably high mortality. Unfortunately, effective treatments for advanced fILD, and especially IPF and non-IPF progressive fibrosing phenotype ILD, are still lacking. The development of pharmacological therapies faces challenges due to limited knowledge of fibrosis pathogenesis and the absence of pre-clinical models accurately representing the complex features of the disease. To address these challenges, new model systems have been developed to enhance the translatability of preclinical drug testing and bridge the gap to human clinical trials. The use of two- and three-dimensional in vitro cultures derived from healthy or diseased individuals allows for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms responsible for lung fibrosis. Additionally, microfluidics systems, which replicate the respiratory system's physiology ex vivo, offer promising opportunities for the development of effective therapies, especially for IPF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuel Kolanko
- Department of Cytophysiology, Katowice Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Anna Cargnoni
- Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Brescia, Italy
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Andrea Papait
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Department Life Sciences and Public Health, Roma, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Antonietta Rosa Silini
- Fondazione Poliambulanza Istituto Ospedaliero, Centro di Ricerca E. Menni, Brescia, Italy
| | - Piotr Czekaj
- Department of Cytophysiology, Katowice Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
| | - Ornella Parolini
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Department Life Sciences and Public Health, Roma, Italy
- Fondazione Policlinico Universitario "A. Gemelli" IRCCS, Roma, Italy
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Peers de Nieuwburgh M, Wambach JA, Griese M, Danhaive O. Towards personalized therapies for genetic disorders of surfactant dysfunction. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 2023; 28:101500. [PMID: 38036307 PMCID: PMC10753445 DOI: 10.1016/j.siny.2023.101500] [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] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Genetic disorders of surfactant dysfunction are a rare cause of chronic, progressive or refractory respiratory failure in term and preterm infants. This review explores genetic mechanisms underpinning surfactant dysfunction, highlighting specific surfactant-associated genes including SFTPB, SFTPC, ABCA3, and NKX2.1. Pathogenic variants in these genes contribute to a range of clinical presentations and courses, from neonatal hypoxemic respiratory failure to childhood interstitial lung disease and even adult-onset pulmonary fibrosis. This review emphasizes the importance of early recognition, thorough phenotype assessment, and assessment of variant functionality as essential prerequisites for treatments including lung transplantation. We explore emerging treatment options, including personalized pharmacological approaches and gene therapy strategies. In conclusion, this comprehensive review offers valuable insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of genetic disorders of surfactant dysfunction, genetic fundamentals, available and emerging therapeutic options, and underscores the need for further research to develop personalized therapies for affected infants and children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Peers de Nieuwburgh
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, St-Luc University Hospital, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Jennifer A Wambach
- Washington University School of Medicine/St. Louis Children's Hospital, One Children's Place, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
| | - Matthias Griese
- Pediatric Pulmonology, Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, University-Hospital, German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Munich, Germany.
| | - Olivier Danhaive
- Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, St-Luc University Hospital, Catholic University of Louvain, Brussels, Belgium; Division of Neonatology, Benioff Children's Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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6
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Jain P, Rauer SB, Felder D, Linkhorst J, Möller M, Wessling M, Singh S. Peptide-Functionalized Electrospun Meshes for the Physiological Cultivation of Pulmonary Alveolar Capillary Barrier Models in a 3D-Printed Micro-Bioreactor. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:4878-4892. [PMID: 37402206 PMCID: PMC10428094 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
In vitro environments that realize biomimetic scaffolds, cellular composition, physiological shear, and strain are integral to developing tissue models of organ-specific functions. In this study, an in vitro pulmonary alveolar capillary barrier model is developed that closely mimics physiological functions by combining a synthetic biofunctionalized nanofibrous membrane system with a novel three-dimensional (3D)-printed bioreactor. The fiber meshes are fabricated from a mixture of polycaprolactone (PCL), 6-armed star-shaped isocyanate-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (sPEG-NCO), and Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) peptides by a one-step electrospinning process that offers full control over the fiber surface chemistry. The tunable meshes are mounted within the bioreactor where they support the co-cultivation of pulmonary epithelial (NCI-H441) and endothelial (HPMEC) cell monolayers at air-liquid interface under controlled stimulation by fluid shear stress and cyclic distention. This stimulation, which closely mimics blood circulation and breathing motion, is observed to impact alveolar endothelial cytoskeleton arrangement and improve epithelial tight junction formation as well as surfactant protein B production compared to static models. The results highlight the potential of PCL-sPEG-NCO:RGD nanofibrous scaffolds in combination with a 3D-printed bioreactor system as a platform to reconstruct and enhance in vitro models to bear a close resemblance to in vivo tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puja Jain
- DWI—Leibniz
Institute for Interactive Materials, RWTH
Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Sebastian B. Rauer
- Institute
for Chemical Process Engineering, RWTH Aachen
University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Daniel Felder
- DWI—Leibniz
Institute for Interactive Materials, RWTH
Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - John Linkhorst
- Institute
for Chemical Process Engineering, RWTH Aachen
University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Martin Möller
- DWI—Leibniz
Institute for Interactive Materials, RWTH
Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Matthias Wessling
- DWI—Leibniz
Institute for Interactive Materials, RWTH
Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
- Institute
for Chemical Process Engineering, RWTH Aachen
University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Smriti Singh
- Max
Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstraße 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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7
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The Cultivation Modality and Barrier Maturity Modulate the Toxicity of Industrial Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles on Nasal, Buccal, Bronchial, and Alveolar Mucosa Cell-Derived Barrier Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065634. [PMID: 36982705 PMCID: PMC10056597 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
As common industrial by-products, airborne engineered nanomaterials are considered important environmental toxins to monitor due to their potential health risks to humans and animals. The main uptake routes of airborne nanoparticles are nasal and/or oral inhalation, which are known to enable the transfer of nanomaterials into the bloodstream resulting in the rapid distribution throughout the human body. Consequently, mucosal barriers present in the nose, buccal, and lung have been identified and intensively studied as the key tissue barrier to nanoparticle translocation. Despite decades of research, surprisingly little is known about the differences among various mucosa tissue types to tolerate nanoparticle exposures. One limitation in comparing nanotoxicological data sets can be linked to a lack of harmonization and standardization of cell-based assays, where (a) different cultivation conditions such as an air-liquid interface or submerged cultures, (b) varying barrier maturity, and (c) diverse media substitutes have been used. The current comparative nanotoxicological study, therefore, aims at analyzing the toxic effects of nanomaterials on four human mucosa barrier models including nasal (RPMI2650), buccal (TR146), alveolar (A549), and bronchial (Calu-3) mucosal cell lines to better understand the modulating effects of tissue maturity, cultivation conditions, and tissue type using standard transwell cultivations at liquid-liquid and air-liquid interfaces. Overall, cell size, confluency, tight junction localization, and cell viability as well as barrier formation using 50% and 100% confluency was monitored using trans-epithelial-electrical resistance (TEER) measurements and resazurin-based Presto Blue assays of immature (e.g., 5 days) and mature (e.g., 22 days) cultures in the presence and absence of corticosteroids such as hydrocortisone. Results of our study show that cellular viability in response to increasing nanoparticle exposure scenarios is highly compound and cell-type specific (TR146 6 ± 0.7% at 2 mM ZnO (ZnO) vs. ~90% at 2 mM TiO2 (TiO2) for 24 h; Calu3 93.9 ± 4.21% at 2 mM ZnO vs. ~100% at 2 mM TiO2). Nanoparticle-induced cytotoxic effects under air-liquid cultivation conditions declined in RPMI2650, A549, TR146, and Calu-3 cells (~0.7 to ~0.2-fold), with increasing 50 to 100% barrier maturity under the influence of ZnO (2 mM). Cell viability in early and late mucosa barriers where hardly influenced by TiO2 as well as most cell types did not fall below 77% viability when added to Individual ALI cultures. Fully maturated bronchial mucosal cell barrier models cultivated under ALI conditions showed less tolerance to acute ZnO nanoparticle exposures (~50% remaining viability at 2 mM ZnO for 24 h) than the similarly treated but more robust nasal (~74%), buccal (~73%), and alveolar (~82%) cell-based models.
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8
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Munday RJ, Coradin T, Nimmo R, Lad Y, Hyde SC, Mitrophanos K, Gill DR. Sendai F/HN pseudotyped lentiviral vector transduces human ciliated and non-ciliated airway cells using α 2,3 sialylated receptors. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 26:239-252. [PMID: 35892086 PMCID: PMC9304433 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
A lentiviral vector (LV) pseudotype derived from the fusion (F) and hemagglutinin-neuraminidase (HN) glycoproteins of a murine respirovirus (Sendai virus) facilitates efficient targeting of murine lung in vivo. Since targeting of the human lung will depend upon the availability and distribution of receptors used by F/HN, we investigated transduction of primary human airway cells differentiated at the air-liquid interface (ALI). We observed targeting of human basal, ciliated, goblet, and club cells, and using a combination of sialidase enzymes and lectins, we showed that transduction is dependent on the availability of sialylated glycans, including α2,3 sialylated N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc). Transduction via F/HN was 300-fold more efficient than another hemagglutinin-based LV pseudotype derived from influenza fowl plague virus (HA Rostock), despite similar efficiency reported in murine airways in vivo. Using specific glycans to inhibit hemagglutination, we showed this could be due to a greater affinity of F/HN for α2,3 sialylated LacNAc. Overall, these results highlight the importance of identifying the receptors used in animal and cell-culture models to predict performance in the human airways. Given the reported prevalence of α2,3 sialylated LacNAc on human pulmonary cells, these results support the suitability of the F/HN pseudotype for human lung gene therapy applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosie J Munday
- Gene Medicine Research Group, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital (Level 4), University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | | | | | - Yatish Lad
- Oxford Biomedica (UK) Ltd., Oxford OX4 6LT, UK
| | - Stephen C Hyde
- Gene Medicine Research Group, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital (Level 4), University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | | | - Deborah R Gill
- Gene Medicine Research Group, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, John Radcliffe Hospital (Level 4), University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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McLachlan G, Alton EWFW, Boyd AC, Clarke NK, Davies JC, Gill DR, Griesenbach U, Hickmott JW, Hyde SC, Miah KM, Molina CJ. Progress in Respiratory Gene Therapy. Hum Gene Ther 2022; 33:893-912. [PMID: 36074947 PMCID: PMC7615302 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2022.172] [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] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The prospect of gene therapy for inherited and acquired respiratory disease has energized the research community since the 1980s, with cystic fibrosis, as a monogenic disorder, driving early efforts to develop effective strategies. The fact that there are still no approved gene therapy products for the lung, despite many early phase clinical trials, illustrates the scale of the challenge: In the 1990s, first-generation non-viral and viral vector systems demonstrated proof-of-concept but low efficacy. Since then, there has been steady progress toward improved vectors with the capacity to overcome at least some of the formidable barriers presented by the lung. In addition, the inclusion of features such as codon optimization and promoters providing long-term expression have improved the expression characteristics of therapeutic transgenes. Early approaches were based on gene addition, where a new DNA copy of a gene is introduced to complement a genetic mutation: however, the advent of RNA-based products that can directly express a therapeutic protein or manipulate gene expression, together with the expanding range of tools for gene editing, has stimulated the development of alternative approaches. This review discusses the range of vector systems being evaluated for lung delivery; the variety of cargoes they deliver, including DNA, antisense oligonucleotides, messenger RNA (mRNA), small interfering RNA (siRNA), and peptide nucleic acids; and exemplifies progress in selected respiratory disease indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerry McLachlan
- The Roslin Institute & R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eric W F W Alton
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
- Gene Therapy Group, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A Christopher Boyd
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, IGMM, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Nora K Clarke
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
- Gene Therapy Group, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jane C Davies
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
- Gene Therapy Group, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Deborah R Gill
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
- Gene Medicine Group, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (NDCLS), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Uta Griesenbach
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
- Gene Therapy Group, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jack W Hickmott
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
- Gene Therapy Group, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen C Hyde
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
- Gene Medicine Group, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (NDCLS), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kamran M Miah
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
- Gene Medicine Group, Radcliffe Department of Medicine (NDCLS), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Juarez Molina
- UK Respiratory Gene Therapy Consortium, London, United Kingdom
- Gene Therapy Group, National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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10
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Munis AM, Wright B, Jackson F, Lockstone H, Hyde SC, Green CM, Gill DR. RNA-seq analysis of the human surfactant air-liquid interface culture reveals alveolar type II cell-like transcriptome. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2022; 24:62-70. [PMID: 34977273 PMCID: PMC8688965 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Understanding pulmonary diseases requires robust culture models that are reproducible, sustainable in long-term culture, physiologically relevant, and suitable for assessment of therapeutic interventions. Primary human lung cells are physiologically relevant but cannot be cultured in vitro long term and, although engineered organoids are an attractive choice, they do not phenotypically recapitulate the lung parenchyma; overall, these models do not allow for the generation of reliable disease models. Recently, we described a new cell culture platform based on H441 cells that are grown at the air-liquid interface to produce the SALI culture model, for studying and correcting the rare interstitial lung disease surfactant protein B (SPB) deficiency. Here, we report the characterization of the effects of SALI culture conditions on the transcriptional profile of the constituent H441 cells. We further analyze the transcriptomics of the model in the context of surfactant metabolism and the disease phenotype through SFTPB knockout SALI cultures. By comparing the gene expression profile of SALI cultures with that of human lung parenchyma obtained via single-cell RNA sequencing, we found that SALI cultures are remarkably similar to human alveolar type II cells, implying clinical relevance of the SALI culture platform as a non-diseased human lung alveolar cell model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Altar M. Munis
- Gene Medicine Group, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Benjamin Wright
- Bioinformatics and Statistical Genetics Core, Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Frederic Jackson
- Clinical BioManufacturing Facility, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JT, UK
| | - Helen Lockstone
- Bioinformatics and Statistical Genetics Core, Wellcome Trust Center for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Stephen C. Hyde
- Gene Medicine Group, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Catherine M. Green
- Clinical BioManufacturing Facility, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JT, UK
- Chromosome Dynamics, The Wellcome Center for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Deborah R. Gill
- Gene Medicine Group, Nuffield Division of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
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11
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Leibel SL, Tseu I, Zhou A, Hodges A, Yin J, Bilodeau C, Goltsis O, Post M. Metabolomic profiling of human pluripotent stem cell differentiation into lung progenitors. iScience 2022; 25:103797. [PMID: 35198866 PMCID: PMC8850758 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolism is vital to cellular function and tissue homeostasis during human lung development. In utero, embryonic pluripotent stem cells undergo endodermal differentiation toward a lung progenitor cell fate that can be mimicked in vitro using induced human pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) to study genetic mutations. To identify differences between wild-type and surfactant protein B (SFTPB)-deficient cell lines during endoderm specification toward lung, we used an untargeted metabolomics approach to evaluate the developmental changes in metabolites. We found that the metabolites most enriched during the differentiation from pluripotent stem cell to lung progenitor cell, regardless of cell line, were sphingomyelins and phosphatidylcholines, two important lipid classes in lung development. The SFTPB mutation had no metabolic impact on early endodermal lung development. The identified metabolite signatures during lung progenitor cell differentiation may be utilized as biomarkers for normal embryonic lung development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra L Leibel
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.,Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Irene Tseu
- Translational Medicine Program, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Anson Zhou
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Andrew Hodges
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jun Yin
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Claudia Bilodeau
- Translational Medicine Program, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Olivia Goltsis
- Translational Medicine Program, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Martin Post
- Translational Medicine Program, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 0A4, Canada
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Yang JW, Lin YR, Chu YL, Chung JHY, Lu HE, Chen GY. Tissue-level alveolar epithelium model for recapitulating SARS-CoV-2 infection and cellular plasticity. Commun Biol 2022; 5:70. [PMID: 35046486 PMCID: PMC8770515 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03026-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractPulmonary sequelae following COVID-19 pneumonia have been emerging as a challenge; however, suitable cell sources for studying COVID-19 mechanisms and therapeutics are currently lacking. In this paper, we present a standardized primary alveolar cell culture method for establishing a human alveolar epithelium model that can recapitulate viral infection and cellular plasticity. The alveolar model is infected with a SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus, and the clinically relevant features of the viral entry into the alveolar type-I/II cells, cytokine production activation, and pulmonary surfactant destruction are reproduced. For this damaged alveolar model, we find that the inhibition of Wnt signaling via XAV939 substantially improves alveolar repair function and prevents subsequent pulmonary fibrosis. Thus, the proposed alveolar cell culture strategy exhibits potential for the identification of pathogenesis and therapeutics in basic and translational research.
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Cooney AL, Wambach JA, Sinn PL, McCray PB. Gene Therapy Potential for Genetic Disorders of Surfactant Dysfunction. Front Genome Ed 2022; 3:785829. [PMID: 35098209 PMCID: PMC8798122 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2021.785829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary surfactant is critically important to prevent atelectasis by lowering the surface tension of the alveolar lining liquid. While respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) is common in premature infants, severe RDS in term and late preterm infants suggests an underlying genetic etiology. Pathogenic variants in the genes encoding key components of pulmonary surfactant including surfactant protein B (SP-B, SFTPB gene), surfactant protein C (SP-C, SFTPC gene), and the ATP-Binding Cassette transporter A3 (ABCA3, ABCA3 gene) result in severe neonatal RDS or childhood interstitial lung disease (chILD). These proteins play essential roles in pulmonary surfactant biogenesis and are expressed in alveolar epithelial type II cells (AEC2), the progenitor cell of the alveolar epithelium. SP-B deficiency most commonly presents in the neonatal period with severe RDS and requires lung transplantation for survival. SFTPC mutations act in an autosomal dominant fashion and more commonly presents with chILD or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis than neonatal RDS. ABCA3 deficiency often presents as neonatal RDS or chILD. Gene therapy is a promising option to treat monogenic lung diseases. Successes and challenges in developing gene therapies for genetic disorders of surfactant dysfunction include viral vector design and tropism for target cell types. In this review, we explore adeno-associated virus (AAV), lentiviral, and adenoviral (Ad)-based vectors as delivery vehicles. Both gene addition and gene editing strategies are compared to best design treatments for lung diseases resulting from pathogenic variants in the SFTPB, SFTPC, and ABCA3 genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L. Cooney
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
- Pappajohn Biomedical Institute and the Center for Gene Therapy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
- *Correspondence: Ashley L. Cooney,
| | - Jennifer A. Wambach
- Edward Mallinckrodt Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Patrick L. Sinn
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
- Pappajohn Biomedical Institute and the Center for Gene Therapy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
| | - Paul B. McCray
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
- Pappajohn Biomedical Institute and the Center for Gene Therapy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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