1
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Lu X, Jin H. A Review of CRISPR-Based Advances in Dermatological Diseases. Mol Diagn Ther 2023; 27:445-456. [PMID: 37041404 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-023-00642-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) has revolutionized biomedical research by offering novel approaches to genetic and epigenetic manipulation. In dermatology, it has significantly promoted our understanding of complex diseases, and shown great potential in therapeutic applications. In this review, we introduce the adoption of CRISPR technology as a tool to study different types of skin disorders, including monogenic genodermatoses, inflammatory disorders, and cutaneous infections. We highlight the promising preclinical results of CRISPR-mediated treatment and important mechanic discoveries in investigative studies. Future opportunities and remaining challenges are also discussed. We predict that CRISPR will be more extensively used for dermatological research and even be accessible to patients in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Lu
- Department of Dermatology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing, 100730, China
| | - Hongzhong Jin
- Department of Dermatology, State Key Laboratory of Complex Severe and Rare Diseases, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, National Clinical Research Center for Dermatologic and Immunologic Diseases, Beijing, 100730, China.
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2
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Bonafont J, Mencía A, Chacón-Solano E, Srifa W, Vaidyanathan S, Romano R, Garcia M, Hervás-Salcedo R, Ugalde L, Duarte B, Porteus MH, Del Rio M, Larcher F, Murillas R. Correction of recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa by homology-directed repair-mediated genome editing. Mol Ther 2021; 29:2008-2018. [PMID: 33609734 PMCID: PMC8178438 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2021.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-editing technologies that enable the introduction of precise changes in DNA sequences have the potential to lead to a new class of treatments for genetic diseases. Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a group of rare genetic disorders characterized by extreme skin fragility. The recessive dystrophic subtype of EB (RDEB), which has one of the most severe phenotypes, is caused by mutations in COL7A1. In this study, we report a gene-editing approach for ex vivo homology-directed repair (HDR)-based gene correction that uses the CRISPR-Cas9 system delivered as a ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex in combination with donor DNA templates delivered by adeno-associated viral vectors (AAVs). We demonstrate sufficient mutation correction frequencies to achieve therapeutic benefit in primary RDEB keratinocytes containing different COL7A1 mutations as well as efficient HDR-mediated COL7A1 modification in healthy cord blood-derived CD34+ cells and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). These results are a proof of concept for HDR-mediated gene correction in different cell types with therapeutic potential for RDEB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Bonafont
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Angeles Mencía
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Esteban Chacón-Solano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Wai Srifa
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | | | - Rosa Romano
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marta Garcia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosario Hervás-Salcedo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Division of Hematopoietic Innovative Therapies, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Ugalde
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Division of Hematopoietic Innovative Therapies, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain
| | - Blanca Duarte
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Matthew H Porteus
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marcela Del Rio
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Larcher
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rodolfo Murillas
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain.
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3
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Gálvez V, Chacón-Solano E, Bonafont J, Mencía Á, Di WL, Murillas R, Llames S, Vicente A, Del Rio M, Carretero M, Larcher F. Efficient CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Gene Ablation in Human Keratinocytes to Recapitulate Genodermatoses: Modeling of Netherton Syndrome. MOLECULAR THERAPY-METHODS & CLINICAL DEVELOPMENT 2020; 18:280-290. [PMID: 32637457 PMCID: PMC7329935 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Current efforts to find specific genodermatoses treatments and define precise pathogenesis mechanisms require appropriate surrogate models with human cells. Although transgenic and gene knockout mouse models for several of these disorders exist, they often fail to faithfully replicate the clinical and histopathological features of the human skin condition. We have established a highly efficient method for precise deletion of critical gene sequences in primary human keratinocytes, based on CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing. Using this methodology, in the present study we generated a model of Netherton syndrome by disruption of SPINK5. Gene-edited cells showed absence of LEKTI expression and were able to recapitulate a hyperkeratotic phenotype with most of the molecular hallmarks of Netherton syndrome, after grafting to immunodeficient mice and in organotypic cultures. To validate the model as a platform for therapeutic intervention, we tested an ex vivo gene therapy approach using a lentiviral vector expressing SPINK5. Re-expression of SPINK5 in an immortalized clone of SPINK5-knockout keratinocytes was capable of reverting from Netherton syndrome to a normal skin phenotype in vivo and in vitro. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of modeling genodermatoses, such as Netherton syndrome, by efficiently disrupting the causative gene to better understand its pathogenesis and to develop novel therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Gálvez
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Esteban Chacón-Solano
- Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), 28903 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Bonafont
- Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), 28903 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángeles Mencía
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Wei-Li Di
- UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Rodolfo Murillas
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Llames
- Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain.,Tissue Engineering Unit, Centro Comunitario Sangre y Tejidos (CCST), 33006 Oviedo, Spain
| | - Asunción Vicente
- Hospital Sant Joan de Deu, 08950 Barcelona, Spain.,Unidad de Dermatología, Hospital Materno-Infantil Sant Joan de Déu, 08950 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marcela Del Rio
- Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), 28903 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Carretero
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Larcher
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Regenerative Medicine and Tissue Engineering Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz (IIS-FJD), 28040 Madrid, Spain.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), 28903 Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
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4
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Bonafont J, Mencía Á, García M, Torres R, Rodríguez S, Carretero M, Chacón-Solano E, Modamio-Høybjør S, Marinas L, León C, Escamez MJ, Hausser I, Del Río M, Murillas R, Larcher F. Clinically Relevant Correction of Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa by Dual sgRNA CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Editing. Mol Ther 2019; 27:986-998. [PMID: 30930113 PMCID: PMC6520462 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene editing constitutes a novel approach for precisely correcting disease-causing gene mutations. Frameshift mutations in COL7A1 causing recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa are amenable to open reading frame restoration by non-homologous end joining repair-based approaches. Efficient targeted deletion of faulty COL7A1 exons in polyclonal patient keratinocytes would enable the translation of this therapeutic strategy to the clinic. In this study, using a dual single-guide RNA (sgRNA)-guided Cas9 nuclease delivered as a ribonucleoprotein complex through electroporation, we have achieved very efficient targeted deletion of COL7A1 exon 80 in recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) patient keratinocytes carrying a highly prevalent frameshift mutation. This ex vivo non-viral approach rendered a large proportion of corrected cells producing a functional collagen VII variant. The effective targeting of the epidermal stem cell population enabled long-term regeneration of a properly adhesive skin upon grafting onto immunodeficient mice. A safety assessment by next-generation sequencing (NGS) analysis of potential off-target sites did not reveal any unintended nuclease activity. Our strategy could potentially be extended to a large number of COL7A1 mutation-bearing exons within the long collagenous domain of this gene, opening the way to precision medicine for RDEB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Bonafont
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ángeles Mencía
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta García
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl Torres
- Molecular Cytogenetics Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Rodríguez
- Molecular Cytogenetics Unit, Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marta Carretero
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain; Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain
| | - Esteban Chacón-Solano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Silvia Modamio-Høybjør
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lucía Marinas
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos León
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - María J Escamez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ingrid Hausser
- Institute of Pathology IPH, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marcela Del Río
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rodolfo Murillas
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Fernando Larcher
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain; Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain.
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5
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De Rosa L, Koller U, Bauer JW, De Luca M, Reichelt J. Advances on potential therapeutic options for epidermolysis bullosa. Expert Opin Orphan Drugs 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/21678707.2018.1463216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura De Rosa
- Center for Regenerative Medicine “Stefano Ferrari”, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Ulrich Koller
- EB House Austria, University Hospital of Dermatology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Johann W. Bauer
- EB House Austria, University Hospital of Dermatology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Michele De Luca
- Center for Regenerative Medicine “Stefano Ferrari”, Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Julia Reichelt
- EB House Austria, University Hospital of Dermatology, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria
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6
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Peking P, Koller U, Murauer EM. Functional therapies for cutaneous wound repair in epidermolysis bullosa. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018; 129:330-343. [PMID: 29248480 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Chronic wounding as a result of recurrent skin blistering in the painful genetic skin disease epidermolysis bullosa, may lead to life-threatening infections, increased risk of tumor formation, and other serious medical complications. Therefore, epidermolysis bullosa patients have an urgent need for optimal wound care and tissue regeneration. Therapeutic strategies using gene-, protein-, and cell-therapies are being developed to improve clinical symptoms, and some of them have already been investigated in early clinical trials. The most favorable options of functional therapies include gene replacement, gene editing, RNA targeting, and harnessing natural gene therapy. This review describes the current progress of the different approaches targeting autologous skin cells, and will discuss the benefits and challenges of their application.
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7
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Mencía Á, Chamorro C, Bonafont J, Duarte B, Holguin A, Illera N, Llames SG, Escámez MJ, Hausser I, Del Río M, Larcher F, Murillas R. Deletion of a Pathogenic Mutation-Containing Exon of COL7A1 Allows Clonal Gene Editing Correction of RDEB Patient Epidermal Stem Cells. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2018; 11:68-78. [PMID: 29858091 PMCID: PMC5852297 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is a severe skin fragility disease caused by loss of functional type VII collagen at the dermal-epidermal junction. A frameshift mutation in exon 80 of COL7A1 gene, c.6527insC, is highly prevalent in the Spanish patient population. We have implemented gene-editing strategies for COL7A1 frame restoration by NHEJ-induced indels in epidermal stem cells from patients carrying this mutation. TALEN nucleases designed to cut within the COL7A1 exon 80 sequence were delivered to primary patient keratinocyte cultures by non-integrating viral vectors. After genotyping a large collection of vector-transduced patient keratinocyte clones with high proliferative potential, we identified a significant percentage of clones with COL7A1 reading frame recovery and Collagen VII protein expression. Skin equivalents generated with cells from a clone lacking exon 80 entirely were able to regenerate phenotypically normal human skin upon their grafting onto immunodeficient mice. These patient-derived human skin grafts showed Collagen VII deposition at the basement membrane zone, formation of anchoring fibrils, and structural integrity when analyzed 12 weeks after grafting. Our data provide a proof-of-principle for recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa treatment through ex vivo gene editing based on removal of pathogenic mutation-containing, functionally expendable COL7A1 exons in patient epidermal stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángeles Mencía
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Chamorro
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose Bonafont
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Blanca Duarte
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Almudena Holguin
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nuria Illera
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara G Llames
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria José Escámez
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ingrid Hausser
- Institute of Pathology, Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marcela Del Río
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Larcher
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Carlos III University (UC3M), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Rodolfo Murillas
- Epithelial Biomedicine Division, Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT), Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de la Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER) U714, Madrid, Spain.
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8
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Kocher T, Peking P, Klausegger A, Murauer EM, Hofbauer JP, Wally V, Lettner T, Hainzl S, Ablinger M, Bauer JW, Reichelt J, Koller U. Cut and Paste: Efficient Homology-Directed Repair of a Dominant Negative KRT14 Mutation via CRISPR/Cas9 Nickases. Mol Ther 2017; 25:2585-2598. [PMID: 28888469 PMCID: PMC5675592 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
With the ability to induce rapid and efficient repair of disease-causing mutations, CRISPR/Cas9 technology is ideally suited for gene therapy approaches for recessively and dominantly inherited monogenic disorders. In this study, we have corrected a causal hotspot mutation in exon 6 of the keratin 14 gene (KRT14) that results in generalized severe epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS-gen sev), using a double-nicking strategy targeting intron 7, followed by homology-directed repair (HDR). Co-delivery into EBS keratinocytes of a Cas9 D10A nickase (Cas9n), a predicted single guide RNA pair specific for intron 7, and a minicircle donor vector harboring the homology donor template resulted in a recombination efficiency of >30% and correction of the mutant KRT14 allele. Phenotypic correction of EBS-gen sev keratinocytes was demonstrated by immunofluorescence analysis, revealing the absence of disease-associated K14 aggregates within the cytoplasm. We achieved a promising safety profile for the CRISPR/Cas9 double-nicking approach, with no detectable off-target activity for a set of predicted off-target genes as confirmed by next generation sequencing. In conclusion, we demonstrate a highly efficient and specific gene-editing approach for KRT14, offering a causal treatment option for EBS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Kocher
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Patricia Peking
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Alfred Klausegger
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Eva Maria Murauer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Josefina Piñón Hofbauer
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Verena Wally
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Thomas Lettner
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Stefan Hainzl
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Michael Ablinger
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Johann Wolfgang Bauer
- Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Julia Reichelt
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ulrich Koller
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
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9
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March OP, Reichelt J, Koller U. Gene editing for skin diseases: designer nucleases as tools for gene therapy of skin fragility disorders. Exp Physiol 2017; 103:449-455. [DOI: 10.1113/ep086044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oliver P. March
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology; University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University; Salzburg Austria
- Institute of Cellular Medicine; Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne UK
| | - Julia Reichelt
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology; University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University; Salzburg Austria
| | - Ulrich Koller
- EB House Austria, Research Program for Molecular Therapy of Genodermatoses, Department of Dermatology; University Hospital of the Paracelsus Medical University; Salzburg Austria
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10
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Molinuevo R, Freije A, de Pedro I, Stoll SW, Elder JT, Gandarillas A. FOXM1 allows human keratinocytes to bypass the oncogene-induced differentiation checkpoint in response to gain of MYC or loss of p53. Oncogene 2017; 36:956-965. [PMID: 27452522 PMCID: PMC5318665 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2016.262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Tumour suppressor p53 or proto-oncogene MYC is frequently altered in squamous carcinomas, but this is insufficient to drive carcinogenesis. We have shown that overactivation of MYC or loss of p53 via DNA damage triggers an anti-oncogenic differentiation-mitosis checkpoint in human epidermal keratinocytes, resulting in impaired cell division and squamous differentiation. Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1) is a transcription factor recently proposed to govern the expression of a set of mitotic genes. Deregulation of FOXM1 occurs in a wide variety of epithelial malignancies. We have ectopically expressed FOXM1 in keratinocytes of the skin after overexpression of MYC or inactivation of endogenous p53. Ectopic FOXM1 rescues the proliferative capacity of MYC- or p53-mutant cells in spite of higher genetic damage and a larger cell size typical of differentiation. As a consequence, differentiation induced by loss of p53 or MYC is converted into increased proliferation and keratinocytes displaying genomic instability are maintained within the proliferative compartment. The results demonstrate that keratinocyte oncogene-induced differentiation is caused by mitosis control and provide new insight into the mechanisms driving malignant progression in squamous cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Molinuevo
- Cell Cycle, Stem Cell Fate and Cancer Laboratory, Institute of Research Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
| | - A Freije
- Cell Cycle, Stem Cell Fate and Cancer Laboratory, Institute of Research Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
| | - I de Pedro
- Cell Cycle, Stem Cell Fate and Cancer Laboratory, Institute of Research Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
| | - S W Stoll
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - J T Elder
- Department of Dermatology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Health System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - A Gandarillas
- Cell Cycle, Stem Cell Fate and Cancer Laboratory, Institute of Research Marqués de Valdecilla (IDIVAL), Santander, Spain
- INSERM, Languedoc-Roussillon, Montpellier, France
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11
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Correction of Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa by Transposon-Mediated Integration of COL7A1 in Transplantable Patient-Derived Primary Keratinocytes. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 137:836-844. [PMID: 28027893 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2016.11.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is caused by defects in type-VII collagen (C7), a protein encoded by the COL7A1 gene and essential for anchoring fibril formation at the dermal-epidermal junction. Gene therapy of RDEB is based on transplantation of autologous epidermal grafts generated from gene-corrected keratinocytes sustaining C7 deposition at the dermal-epidermal junction. Transfer of the COL7A1 gene is complicated by its very large size and repetitive sequence. This article reports a gene delivery approach based on the Sleeping beauty transposon, which allows integration of a full-length COL7A1 cDNA and secretion of C7 at physiological levels in RDEB keratinocytes without rearrangements or detrimental effects on their clonogenic potential. Skin equivalents derived from gene-corrected RDEB keratinocytes were tested in a validated preclinical model of xenotransplantation on immunodeficient mice, where they showed normal deposition of C7 at the dermal-epidermal junction and restoration of skin adhesion properties. These results indicate the feasibility and efficacy of a transposon-based gene therapy approach to RDEB.
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12
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Progress toward Treatment and Cure of Epidermolysis Bullosa: Summary of the DEBRA International Research Symposium EB2015. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 136:352-358. [PMID: 26802230 PMCID: PMC4724642 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2015.10.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a group of complex heritable blistering diseases, is the topic of triennial research meetings organized by DEBRA International, the umbrella of patient advocacy organizations. The DEBRA 2015 Research Conference, held in May 2015, brought together investigators and clinicians from around the world working at the forefront of EB research. Discussing the state-of-the-art approaches from a wide range of disciplines, there was a palpable excitement at this conference brought about by the optimism about applying new sequencing techniques, genome editing, protein replacement, autologous and allogeneic stem cell therapy, innovations in cancer biology, revertant mosaicism and iPSC techniques, all of which are aimed at developing new therapies for EB. Many in the field who have participated in EB research for many years were especially enthusiastic and felt that, possibly for the first time, the field seems uniquely poised to bring these new tools to effectively tackle EB using multiple complementary approaches towards improved quality of life and eventually a cure for patients suffering from EB, a currently intractable disease.
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Gene Editing for the Efficient Correction of a Recurrent COL7A1 Mutation in Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Keratinocytes. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2016; 5:e307. [PMID: 27045209 PMCID: PMC5014520 DOI: 10.1038/mtna.2016.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2016] [Accepted: 02/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Clonal gene therapy protocols based on the precise manipulation of epidermal stem cells require highly efficient gene-editing molecular tools. We have combined adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated delivery of donor template DNA with transcription activator-like nucleases (TALE) expressed by adenoviral vectors to address the correction of the c.6527insC mutation in the COL7A1 gene, causing recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa in a high percentage of Spanish patients. After transduction with these viral vectors, high frequencies of homology-directed repair were found in clones of keratinocytes derived from a recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) patient homozygous for the c.6527insC mutation. Gene-edited clones recovered the expression of the COL7A1 transcript and collagen VII protein at physiological levels. In addition, treatment of patient keratinocytes with TALE nucleases in the absence of a donor template DNA resulted in nonhomologous end joining (NHEJ)-mediated indel generation in the vicinity of the c.6527insC mutation site in a large proportion of keratinocyte clones. A subset of these indels restored the reading frame of COL7A1 and resulted in abundant, supraphysiological expression levels of mutant or truncated collagen VII protein. Keratinocyte clones corrected both by homology-directed repair (HDR) or NHEJ were used to regenerate skin displaying collagen VII in the dermo-epidermal junction.
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