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McCutcheon SR, Rohm D, Iglesias N, Gersbach CA. Epigenome editing technologies for discovery and medicine. Nat Biotechnol 2024:10.1038/s41587-024-02320-1. [PMID: 39075148 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-024-02320-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Epigenome editing has rapidly evolved in recent years, with diverse applications that include elucidating gene regulation mechanisms, annotating coding and noncoding genome functions and programming cell state and lineage specification. Importantly, given the ubiquitous role of epigenetics in complex phenotypes, epigenome editing has unique potential to impact a broad spectrum of diseases. By leveraging powerful DNA-targeting technologies, such as CRISPR, epigenome editing exploits the heritable and reversible mechanisms of epigenetics to alter gene expression without introducing DNA breaks, inducing DNA damage or relying on DNA repair pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean R McCutcheon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Dahlia Rohm
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nahid Iglesias
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Charles A Gersbach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center for Advanced Genomic Technologies, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
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2
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Izquierdo-Pujol J, Puertas MC, Martinez-Picado J, Morón-López S. Targeting Viral Transcription for HIV Cure Strategies. Microorganisms 2024; 12:752. [PMID: 38674696 PMCID: PMC11052381 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12040752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) suppresses viral replication to undetectable levels, reduces mortality and morbidity, and improves the quality of life of people living with HIV (PWH). However, ART cannot cure HIV infection because it is unable to eliminate latently infected cells. HIV latency may be regulated by different HIV transcription mechanisms, such as blocks to initiation, elongation, and post-transcriptional processes. Several latency-reversing (LRA) and -promoting agents (LPA) have been investigated in clinical trials aiming to eliminate or reduce the HIV reservoir. However, none of these trials has shown a conclusive impact on the HIV reservoir. Here, we review the cellular and viral factors that regulate HIV-1 transcription, the potential pharmacological targets and genetic and epigenetic editing techniques that have been or might be evaluated to disrupt HIV-1 latency, the role of miRNA in post-transcriptional regulation of HIV-1, and the differences between the mechanisms regulating HIV-1 and HIV-2 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Izquierdo-Pujol
- IrsiCaixa, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (J.I.-P.); (M.C.P.); (J.M.-P.)
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
| | - Maria C. Puertas
- IrsiCaixa, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (J.I.-P.); (M.C.P.); (J.M.-P.)
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Martinez-Picado
- IrsiCaixa, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (J.I.-P.); (M.C.P.); (J.M.-P.)
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Immunity, School of Medicine, University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), 08500 Vic, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Morón-López
- IrsiCaixa, 08916 Badalona, Spain; (J.I.-P.); (M.C.P.); (J.M.-P.)
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), 08916 Badalona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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3
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Fisher MA, Chaudhry W, Campbell LA. Gesicles packaging dCas9-VPR ribonucleoprotein complexes can combine with vorinostat and promote HIV proviral transcription. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2024; 32:101203. [PMID: 38390557 PMCID: PMC10881426 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2024.101203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Despite the success of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in HIV treatment, a cure for HIV remains elusive. Scientists postulate that HIV latent reservoirs may be a vital target in curative strategies. Vorinostat is a latency-reversing agent that has demonstrated some effectiveness in reactivating latent HIV, but complementary therapies may be essential to enhance its efficacy. One such approach may utilize the CRISPR-Cas9 system, which has evolved to include transcriptional activators such as dCas9-VPR. In this study, we explored the effects of combining vorinostat coupled with gesicle-mediated delivery of dCas9-VPR in promoting the transcription of integrated HIV proviruses in HIV-NanoLuc CHME-5 microglia and J-Lat 10.6 lymphocytes. We confirmed that dCas9-VPR ribonucleoprotein complexes can be packaged into gesicles and application to cells successfully induced HIV transcription through interactions with the HIV LTR. Vorinostat also induced significant increases in proviral transcription but generated inhibition of cellular proliferation (microglia) or cell viability (lymphocytes) starting at 1,000 nM and higher concentrations. Experiments combining dCas9-VPR gesicles and vorinostat confirmed the enhanced transcriptional activation of the HIV provirus in microglia but not lymphocytes. Thus, a combination of dCas9-VPR gesicles with other latency-reversing agents may provide a complementary method to activate latent HIV in future studies utilizing patient-derived cells or small animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela A Fisher
- Laboratory of Preclinical Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Waj Chaudhry
- Laboratory of Preclinical Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lee A Campbell
- Laboratory of Preclinical Neurobiology, Department of Neuroscience, Washington, DC, USA
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Klinnert S, Schenkel CD, Freitag PC, Günthard HF, Plückthun A, Metzner KJ. Targeted shock-and-kill HIV-1 gene therapy approach combining CRISPR activation, suicide gene tBid and retargeted adenovirus delivery. Gene Ther 2024; 31:74-84. [PMID: 37558852 PMCID: PMC10940146 DOI: 10.1038/s41434-023-00413-1] [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: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Infections with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) are incurable due the long-lasting, latent viral reservoir. The shock-and-kill cure approach aims to activate latent proviruses in HIV-1 infected cells and subsequently kill these cells with strategies such as therapeutic vaccines or immune enhancement. Here, we combined the dCas9-VPR CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) system with gRNA-V, the truncated Bid (tBid)-based suicide gene strategy and CD3-retargeted adenovirus (Ad) delivery vectors, in an all-in-one targeted shock-and-kill gene therapy approach to achieve specific elimination of latently HIV-1 infected cells. Simultaneous transduction of latently HIV-1 infected J-Lat 10.6 cells with a CD3-retargeted Ad-CRISPRa-V and Ad-tBid led to a 57.7 ± 17.0% reduction of productively HIV-1 infected cells and 2.4-fold ± 0.25 increase in cell death. The effective activation of latent HIV-1 provirus by Ad-CRISPRa-V was similar to the activation control TNF-α. The strictly HIV-1 dependent and non-leaky killing by tBid could be demonstrated. Furthermore, the high transduction efficiencies of up to 70.8 ± 0.4% by the CD3-retargeting technology in HIV-1 latently infected cell lines was the basis of successful shock-and-kill. This novel targeted shock-and-kill all-in-one gene therapy approach has the potential to safely and effectively eliminate HIV-1 infected cells in a highly HIV-1 and T cell specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Klinnert
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Life Science Zurich Graduate School, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Corinne D Schenkel
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Patrick C Freitag
- Life Science Zurich Graduate School, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Huldrych F Günthard
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Plückthun
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karin J Metzner
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
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5
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Li F, Yu J, Pan T, Feng H, Li J, Yu B, Fan Z, Sang Q, Chen M, Zang M, Hou J, Wu X, Yu Y, Li YY, Yan C, Zhu Z, Su L, Liu B. BPTF Drives Gastric Cancer Resistance to EGFR Inhibitor by Epigenetically Regulating the C-MYC/PLCG1/Perk Axis. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2303091. [PMID: 37863665 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Erlotinib, an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is used for treating patients with cancer exhibiting EGFR overexpression or mutation. However, the response rate of erlotinib is low among patients with gastric cancer (GC). The findings of this study illustrated that the overexpression of bromodomain PHD finger transcription factor (BPTF) is partially responsible for erlotinib resistance in GC, and the combination of the BPTF inhibitor AU-1 with erlotinib synergistically inhibited tumor growth both in vivo and in vitro. AU-1 inhibited the epigenetic function of BPTF and decreased the transcriptional activity of c-MYC on PLCG1 by attenuating chromosome accessibility of the PLCG1 promoter region, thus decreasing the expression of p-PLCG1 and p-Erk and eventually improving the sensitivity of GC cells to erlotinib. In patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, AU-1 monotherapy exhibited remarkable tumor-inhibiting activity and is synergistic anti-tumor effects when combined with erlotinib. Altogether, the findings illustrate that BPTF affects the responsiveness of GC to erlotinib by epigenetically regulating the c-MYC/PLCG1/pErk axis, and the combination of BPTF inhibitors and erlotinib is a viable therapeutic approach for GC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyuan Li
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Junxian Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Tao Pan
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Haoran Feng
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Jianfang Li
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Beiqin Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyuan Fan
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Qingqing Sang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Mengdi Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Mingde Zang
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
- Department of Gastric Cancer Surgery, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, P. R. China
| | - Junyi Hou
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Xiongyan Wu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Yingyan Yu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Li
- Shanghai Center for Bioinformation Technology, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Pharmaceutical Translation & Shanghai Industrial Technology Institute, Shanghai, 202163, P. R. China
| | - Chao Yan
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Zhenggang Zhu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Liping Su
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
| | - Bingya Liu
- Department of General Surgery, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Gastric Neoplasms, Shanghai Institute of Digestive Surgery, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, P. R. China
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Zhu Y, Jiang Z, Liu L, Yang X, Li M, Cheng Y, Xu J, Yin C, Zhu H. Scopoletin Reactivates Latent HIV-1 by Inducing NF-κB Expression without Global T Cell Activation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12649. [PMID: 37628826 PMCID: PMC10454185 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612649] [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: 05/06/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Reversing HIV-1 latency promotes the killing of infected cells and is essential for cure strategies. However, current latency-reversing agents (LRAs) are not entirely effective and safe in activating latent viruses in patients. In this study, we investigated whether Scopoletin (6-Methoxy-7-hydroxycoumarin), an important coumarin phytoalexin found in plants with multiple pharmacological activities, can reactivate HIV-1 latency and elucidated its underlying mechanism. Using the Jurkat T cell model of HIV-1 latency, we found that Scopoletin can reactivate latent HIV-1 replication with a similar potency to Prostratin and did so in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, we provide evidence indicating that Scopoletin-induced HIV-1 reactivation involves the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Importantly, Scopoletin did not have a stimulatory effect on T lymphocyte receptors or HIV-1 receptors. In conclusion, our study suggests that Scopoletin has the potential to reactivate latent HIV-1 without causing global T-cell activation, making it a promising treatment option for anti-HIV-1 latency strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.J.); (L.L.); (X.Y.); (M.L.); (Y.C.); (C.Y.)
| | - Zhengtao Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.J.); (L.L.); (X.Y.); (M.L.); (Y.C.); (C.Y.)
| | - Lin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.J.); (L.L.); (X.Y.); (M.L.); (Y.C.); (C.Y.)
| | - Xinyi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.J.); (L.L.); (X.Y.); (M.L.); (Y.C.); (C.Y.)
| | - Min Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.J.); (L.L.); (X.Y.); (M.L.); (Y.C.); (C.Y.)
| | - Yipeng Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.J.); (L.L.); (X.Y.); (M.L.); (Y.C.); (C.Y.)
| | - Jianqing Xu
- Scientific Research Center, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai 201508, China;
| | - Chunhua Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.J.); (L.L.); (X.Y.); (M.L.); (Y.C.); (C.Y.)
| | - Huanzhang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; (Y.Z.); (Z.J.); (L.L.); (X.Y.); (M.L.); (Y.C.); (C.Y.)
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7
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Carroll MS, Giacca M. CRISPR activation and interference as investigative tools in the cardiovascular system. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2023; 155:106348. [PMID: 36563996 PMCID: PMC10265131 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2022.106348] [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: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR activation and interference (CRISPRa/i) technology offers the unprecedented possibility of achieving regulated gene expression both in vitro and in vivo. The DNA pairing specificity of a nuclease dead Cas9 (dCas9) is exploited to precisely target a transcriptional activator or repressor in proximity to a gene promoter. This permits both the study of phenotypes arising from gene modulation for investigative purposes, and the development of potential therapeutics. As with virtually all other organ systems, the cardiovascular system can deeply benefit from a broader utilisation of CRISPRa/i. However, application of this technology is still in its infancy. Significant areas for improvement include the identification of novel and more effective transcriptional regulators that can be docked to dCas9, and the development of more efficient methods for their delivery and expression in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa S Carroll
- School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, London UK
| | - Mauro Giacca
- School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences and British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, King's College London, London UK.
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Klinnert S, Chemnitzer A, Rusert P, Metzner KJ. Systematic HIV-1 promoter targeting with CRISPR/dCas9-VPR reveals optimal region for activation of the latent provirus. J Gen Virol 2022; 103. [PMID: 35671066 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001754] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/dCas9-based activation systems (CRISPRa) enable sequence-specific gene activation and are therefore of particular interest for the 'shock and kill' cure approach against HIV-1 infections. This approach aims to activate the latent HIV-1 proviruses in infected cells and subsequently kill these cells. Several CRISPRa systems have been shown to specifically and effectively activate latent HIV-1 when targeted to the HIV-1 5'LTR promoter, making them a promising 'shock' strategy. Here, we aimed to evaluate the dCas9-VPR system for its applicability in reversing HIV-1 latency and identify the optimal gRNA target site in the HIV-1 5'LTR promoter leading to the strongest activation of the provirus with this system. We systematically screened the HIV-1 promoter by selecting 14 specific gRNAs that cover almost half of the HIV-1 promoter from the 3' half of the U3 until the beginning of the R region. Screening in several latently HIV-1 infected cell lines showed that dCas9-VPR leads to a high activation of HIV-1 and that gRNA-V and -VII induce the strongest activation of replication competent latent provirus. This data indicates that the optimal activation region in the HIV-1 promoter for the dCas9-VPR system is located -165 to -106 bp from the transcription start site and that it is consistent with the optimal activation region reported for other CRISPRa systems. Our data demonstrates that the dCas9-VPR system is a powerful tool for HIV-1 activation and could be harnessed for the 'shock and kill' cure approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Klinnert
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Life Sciences Graduate School, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Alex Chemnitzer
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter Rusert
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karin J Metzner
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Virology, University of Zurich, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland
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9
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Zhai H, Cui L, Xiong Z, Qi Q, Hou J. CRISPR-mediated protein-tagging signal amplification systems for efficient transcriptional activation and repression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:5988-6000. [PMID: 35641106 PMCID: PMC9178002 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important model eukaryotic microorganism and widely applied in fundamental research and the production of various chemicals. Its ability to efficiently and precisely control the expression of multiple genes is valuable for metabolic engineering. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-mediated regulation enables complex gene expression programming; however, the regulation efficiency is often limited by the efficiency of pertinent regulators. Here, we developed CRISPR-mediated protein-tagging signal amplification system for simultaneous multiplexed gene activation and repression in S. cerevisiae. By introducing protein scaffolds (SPY and SunTag systems) to recruit multiple copies of regulators to different nuclease-deficient CRISPR proteins and design optimization, our system amplified gene regulation efficiency significantly. The gene activation and repression efficiencies reached as high as 34.9-fold and 95%, respectively, being 3.8- and 8.6-fold higher than those observed on the direct fusion of regulators with nuclease-deficient CRISPR proteins, respectively. We then applied the orthogonal bifunctional CRISPR-mediated transcriptional regulation system to regulate the expression of genes associated with 3-hydroxypropanoic acid production to deduce that CRISPR-associated regulator recruiting systems represent a robust method for simultaneously regulating multiple genes and rewiring metabolic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haotian Zhai
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P.R. China
| | - Li Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P.R. China
| | - Zhen Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P.R. China
| | - Qingsheng Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, P.R. China
| | - Jin Hou
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +86 532 5863 2401;
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Maslennikova A, Mazurov D. Application of CRISPR/Cas Genomic Editing Tools for HIV Therapy: Toward Precise Modifications and Multilevel Protection. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:880030. [PMID: 35694537 PMCID: PMC9177041 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.880030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can robustly control human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, the existence of latent HIV in a form of proviral DNA integrated into the host genome makes the virus insensitive to HAART. This requires patients to adhere to HAART for a lifetime, often leading to drug toxicity or viral resistance to therapy. Current genome-editing technologies offer different strategies to reduce the latent HIV reservoir in the body. In this review, we systematize the research on CRISPR/Cas-based anti-HIV therapeutic methods, discuss problems related to viral escape and gene editing, and try to focus on the technologies that effectively and precisely introduce genetic modifications and confer strong resistance to HIV infection. Particularly, knock-in (KI) approaches, such as mature B cells engineered to produce broadly neutralizing antibodies, T cells expressing fusion inhibitory peptides in the context of inactivated viral coreceptors, or provirus excision using base editors, look very promising. Current and future advancements in the precision of CRISPR/Cas editing and its delivery will help extend its applicability to clinical HIV therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Maslennikova
- Cell and Gene Technology Group, Institute of Gene Biology of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
| | - Dmitriy Mazurov
- Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Institute of Gene Biology of Russian Academy of Science, Moscow, Russia
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Jamehdor S, Pajouhanfar S, Saba S, Uzan G, Teimoori A, Naserian S. Principles and Applications of CRISPR Toolkit in Virus Manipulation, Diagnosis, and Virus-Host Interactions. Cells 2022; 11:999. [PMID: 35326449 PMCID: PMC8946942 DOI: 10.3390/cells11060999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses are one of the most important concerns for human health, and overcoming viral infections is a worldwide challenge. However, researchers have been trying to manipulate viral genomes to overcome various disorders, including cancer, for vaccine development purposes. CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is becoming one of the most functional and widely used tools for RNA and DNA manipulation in multiple organisms. This approach has provided an unprecedented opportunity for creating simple, inexpensive, specific, targeted, accurate, and practical manipulations of viruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1), and vaccinia virus. Furthermore, this method can be used to make an effective and precise diagnosis of viral infections. Nevertheless, a valid and scientifically designed CRISPR system is critical to make more effective and accurate changes in viruses. In this review, we have focused on the best and the most effective ways to design sgRNA, gene knock-in(s), and gene knock-out(s) for virus-targeted manipulation. Furthermore, we have emphasized the application of CRISPR technology in virus diagnosis and in finding significant genes involved in virus-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saleh Jamehdor
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan 989155432609, Iran;
| | - Sara Pajouhanfar
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA;
| | - Sadaf Saba
- Center for Molecular Medicine & Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA;
| | - Georges Uzan
- INSERM UMR-S-MD 1197, Hôpital Paul Brousse, 94800 Villejuif, France;
- Paris-Saclay University, 94800 Villejuif, France
| | - Ali Teimoori
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan 6517838738, Iran
| | - Sina Naserian
- INSERM UMR-S-MD 1197, Hôpital Paul Brousse, 94800 Villejuif, France;
- Paris-Saclay University, 94800 Villejuif, France
- CellMedEx, 94100 Saint Maur Des Fossés, France
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12
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Wei Hou ZZ, Chen S. Updates on CRISPR-based gene editing in HIV-1/AIDS therapy. Virol Sin 2022; 37:1-10. [PMID: 35234622 PMCID: PMC8922418 DOI: 10.1016/j.virs.2022.01.017] [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: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although tremendous efforts have been made to prevent and treat HIV-1 infection, HIV-1/AIDS remains a major threat to global human health. The combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), although able to suppress HIV-1 replication, cannot eliminate the proviral DNA integrated into the human genome and thus requires lifelong treatment that may lead to various side effects. In recent years, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9) related gene-editing systems have been developed and designed as effective ways to treat HIV-1 infection. However, new gene-targeting tools derived from or functioning like CRISPR/Cas9, including base editor, prime editing, SHERLOCK, DETECTR, PAC-MAN, ABACAS, pfAGO, have been developed and optimized for pathogens detection and diseases correction. Here, we summarize recent studies on HIV-1/AIDS gene therapy and provide more gene-editing targets based on studies relating to the molecular mechanism of HIV-1 infection. We also identify the strategies and potential applications of these new gene-editing technologies for HIV-1/AIDS treatment in the future. Moreover, we discuss the caveats and problems that should be addressed before the clinical use of these versatile CRISPR-based gene targeting tools. Finally, we offer alternative solutions to improve the practice of gene targeting in HIV-1/AIDS gene therapy. New gene-targeting tools derived from CRISPR/Cas9 have been introduced. Recent researches in HIV-1/AIDS gene therapy have been summarized. The strategies and potential applications of new gene editing technologies for HIV-1/AIDS treatment have been provided. The caveats and challenges in HIV-1/AIDS gene therapy have been discussed.
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13
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Li G, Li X, Zhuang S, Wang L, Zhu Y, Chen Y, Sun W, Wu Z, Zhou Z, Chen J, Huang X, Wang J, Li D, Li W, Wang H, Wei W. Gene editing and its applications in biomedicine. SCIENCE CHINA. LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 65:660-700. [PMID: 35235150 PMCID: PMC8889061 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-021-2057-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The steady progress in genome editing, especially genome editing based on the use of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and programmable nucleases to make precise modifications to genetic material, has provided enormous opportunities to advance biomedical research and promote human health. The application of these technologies in basic biomedical research has yielded significant advances in identifying and studying key molecular targets relevant to human diseases and their treatment. The clinical translation of genome editing techniques offers unprecedented biomedical engineering capabilities in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of disease or disability. Here, we provide a general summary of emerging biomedical applications of genome editing, including open challenges. We also summarize the tools of genome editing and the insights derived from their applications, hoping to accelerate new discoveries and therapies in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanglei Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Xiangyang Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Songkuan Zhuang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518035, China
| | - Liren Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yifan Zhu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yangcan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Wen Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zeguang Wu
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University Genome Editing Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Zhuo Zhou
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University Genome Editing Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jia Chen
- Gene Editing Center, School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
| | - Xingxu Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
| | - Jin Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Shenzhen Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Second People's Hospital, Shenzhen, 518035, China.
| | - Dali Li
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
| | - Wei Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- Bejing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing, 100101, China.
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
| | - Haoyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Wensheng Wei
- Biomedical Pioneering Innovation Center, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Genomics, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University Genome Editing Research Center, State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
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14
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Chulanov V, Kostyusheva A, Brezgin S, Ponomareva N, Gegechkori V, Volchkova E, Pimenov N, Kostyushev D. CRISPR Screening: Molecular Tools for Studying Virus-Host Interactions. Viruses 2021; 13:v13112258. [PMID: 34835064 PMCID: PMC8618713 DOI: 10.3390/v13112258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas is a powerful tool for studying the role of genes in viral infections. The invention of CRISPR screening technologies has made it possible to untangle complex interactions between the host and viral agents. Moreover, whole-genome and pathway-specific CRISPR screens have facilitated identification of novel drug candidates for treating viral infections. In this review, we highlight recent developments in the fields of CRISPR/Cas with a focus on the use of CRISPR screens for studying viral infections and identifying new candidate genes to aid development of antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Chulanov
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (V.C.); (A.K.); (S.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
- Scientific Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Division of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Sochi, Russia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Anastasiya Kostyusheva
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (V.C.); (A.K.); (S.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
| | - Sergey Brezgin
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (V.C.); (A.K.); (S.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
- Scientific Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Division of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Sochi, Russia
| | - Natalia Ponomareva
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (V.C.); (A.K.); (S.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Vladimir Gegechkori
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Elena Volchkova
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Nikolay Pimenov
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (V.C.); (A.K.); (S.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
| | - Dmitry Kostyushev
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (V.C.); (A.K.); (S.B.); (N.P.); (N.P.)
- Scientific Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Division of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Sochi, Russia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
- Correspondence:
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15
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Atkins A, Chung CH, Allen AG, Dampier W, Gurrola TE, Sariyer IK, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B. Off-Target Analysis in Gene Editing and Applications for Clinical Translation of CRISPR/Cas9 in HIV-1 Therapy. Front Genome Ed 2021; 3:673022. [PMID: 34713260 PMCID: PMC8525399 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2021.673022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
As genome-editing nucleases move toward broader clinical applications, the need to define the limits of their specificity and efficiency increases. A variety of approaches for nuclease cleavage detection have been developed, allowing a full-genome survey of the targeting landscape and the detection of a variety of repair outcomes for nuclease-induced double-strand breaks. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages relating to the means of target-site capture, target enrichment mechanism, cellular environment, false discovery, and validation of bona fide off-target cleavage sites in cells. This review examines the strengths, limitations, and origins of the different classes of off-target cleavage detection systems including anchored primer enrichment (GUIDE-seq), in situ detection (BLISS), in vitro selection libraries (CIRCLE-seq), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) (DISCOVER-Seq), translocation sequencing (LAM PCR HTGTS), and in vitro genomic DNA digestion (Digenome-seq and SITE-Seq). Emphasis is placed on the specific modifications that give rise to the enhanced performance of contemporary techniques over their predecessors and the comparative performance of techniques for different applications. The clinical relevance of these techniques is discussed in the context of assessing the safety of novel CRISPR/Cas9 HIV-1 curative strategies. With the recent success of HIV-1 and SIV-1 viral suppression in humanized mice and non-human primates, respectively, using CRISPR/Cas9, rigorous exploration of potential off-target effects is of critical importance. Such analyses would benefit from the application of the techniques discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Atkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Cheng-Han Chung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alexander G. Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Will Dampier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Theodore E. Gurrola
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ilker K. Sariyer
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Neurovirology, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael R. Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States,Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States,*Correspondence: Brian Wigdahl
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16
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Brezgin S, Kostyusheva A, Bayurova E, Volchkova E, Gegechkori V, Gordeychuk I, Glebe D, Kostyushev D, Chulanov V. Immunity and Viral Infections: Modulating Antiviral Response via CRISPR-Cas Systems. Viruses 2021; 13:1373. [PMID: 34372578 PMCID: PMC8310348 DOI: 10.3390/v13071373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral infections cause a variety of acute and chronic human diseases, sometimes resulting in small local outbreaks, or in some cases spreading across the globe and leading to global pandemics. Understanding and exploiting virus-host interactions is instrumental for identifying host factors involved in viral replication, developing effective antiviral agents, and mitigating the severity of virus-borne infectious diseases. The diversity of CRISPR systems and CRISPR-based tools enables the specific modulation of innate immune responses and has contributed impressively to the fields of virology and immunology in a very short time. In this review, we describe the most recent advances in the use of CRISPR systems for basic and translational studies of virus-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Brezgin
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (V.C.)
- Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency, 115522 Moscow, Russia
- Scientific Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Division of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Sochi, Russia
| | - Anastasiya Kostyusheva
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (V.C.)
| | - Ekaterina Bayurova
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, 108819 Moscow, Russia; (E.B.); (I.G.)
| | - Elena Volchkova
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Vladimir Gegechkori
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
| | - Ilya Gordeychuk
- Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences, 108819 Moscow, Russia; (E.B.); (I.G.)
- Department of Organization and Technology of Immunobiological Drugs, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Dieter Glebe
- National Reference Center for Hepatitis B Viruses and Hepatitis D Viruses, Institute of Medical Virology, Justus Liebig University of Giessen, 35392 Giessen, Germany;
| | - Dmitry Kostyushev
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (V.C.)
- Scientific Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Division of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Sochi, Russia
| | - Vladimir Chulanov
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (V.C.)
- Scientific Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Division of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 354340 Sochi, Russia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sechenov University, 119991 Moscow, Russia;
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17
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Alves E, Taifour S, Dolcetti R, Chee J, Nowak AK, Gaudieri S, Blancafort P. Reprogramming the anti-tumor immune response via CRISPR genetic and epigenetic editing. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2021; 21:592-606. [PMID: 34095343 PMCID: PMC8142043 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2021.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Precise clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-mediated genetic and epigenetic manipulation of the immune response has become a promising immunotherapeutic approach toward combating tumorigenesis and tumor progression. CRISPR-based immunologic reprograming in cancer therapy comprises the locus-specific enhancement of host immunity, the improvement of tumor immunogenicity, and the suppression of tumor immunoevasion. To date, the ex vivo re-engineering of immune cells directed to inhibit the expression of immune checkpoints or to express synthetic immune receptors (chimeric antigen receptor therapy) has shown success in some settings, such as in the treatment of melanoma, lymphoma, liver, and lung cancer. However, advancements in nuclease-deactivated CRISPR-associated nuclease-9 (dCas9)-mediated transcriptional activation or repression and Cas13-directed gene suppression present novel avenues for the development of tumor immunotherapies. In this review, the basis for development, mechanism of action, and outcomes from recently published Cas9-based clinical trial (genetic editing) and dCas9/Cas13-based pre-clinical (epigenetic editing) data are discussed. Lastly, we review cancer immunotherapy-specific considerations and barriers surrounding use of these approaches in the clinic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Alves
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Shahama Taifour
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Riccardo Dolcetti
- Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4102, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Jonathan Chee
- National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, Institute of Respiratory Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Anna K. Nowak
- National Centre for Asbestos Related Diseases, Institute of Respiratory Health, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- School of Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Silvana Gaudieri
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Institute for Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Pilar Blancafort
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
- The Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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18
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Xu Y, Peng X, Zheng Y, Jin C, Lu X, Han D, Fu H, Chen C, Wu N. Inactivation of Latent HIV-1 Proviral DNA Using Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Cas9 Treatment and the Assessment of Off-Target Effects. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:629153. [PMID: 34122355 PMCID: PMC8187572 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.629153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Viral DNA integrated in host cells is a major barrier to completely curing HIV-1. However, genome editing using the recently developed technique of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 has the potential to eradicate HIV-1. The present study aimed to use a lentiviral vector-based CRISPR/Cas9 system combined with dual-small/single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to attack HIV-1 DNA in the latency reactivation model J-Lat 10.6 cell line and to assess off-target effects using whole-genome sequencing (WGS). We designed 12 sgRNAs targeting HIV-1 DNA, and selected high-efficiency sgRNAs for further pairwise combinations after a preliminary evaluation of the editing efficiency. Three combinations of dual-sgRNAs/Cas9 with high editing efficiency were screened successfully from multiple combinations. Among these combinations, the incidences of insertions and deletions in the sgRNA-targeted regions reached 76% and above, and no credible off-target sites were detected using WGS. The results provided comprehensive basic experimental evidence and methodological recommendations for future personalized HIV-1 treatment using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufan Xu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaorong Peng
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanghao Zheng
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Changzhong Jin
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiangyun Lu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Dating Han
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Haijing Fu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chaoyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Nanping Wu
- State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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19
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Escalona‐Noguero C, López‐Valls M, Sot B. CRISPR/Cas technology as a promising weapon to combat viral infections. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2000315. [PMID: 33569817 PMCID: PMC7995209 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The versatile clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas system has emerged as a promising technology for therapy and molecular diagnosis. It is especially suited for overcoming viral infections outbreaks, since their effective control relies on an efficient treatment, but also on a fast diagnosis to prevent disease dissemination. The CRISPR toolbox offers DNA- and RNA-targeting nucleases that constitute dual weapons against viruses. They allow both the manipulation of viral and host genomes for therapeutic purposes and the detection of viral nucleic acids in "Point of Care" sensor devices. Here, we thoroughly review recent advances in the use of the CRISPR/Cas system for the treatment and diagnosis of viral deleterious infections such as HIV or SARS-CoV-2, examining their strengths and limitations. We describe the main points to consider when designing CRISPR antiviral strategies and the scientific efforts to develop more sensitive CRISPR-based viral detectors. Finally, we discuss future prospects to improve both applications. Also see the video abstract here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0z1dLpJWl4.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Begoña Sot
- Fundación IMDEA‐NanocienciaMadridSpain
- Nanobiotecnología (IMDEA‐Nanociencia)Unidad Asociada al Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CSIC)MadridSpain
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20
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Scott TA, O’Meally D, Grepo NA, Soemardy C, Lazar DC, Zheng Y, Weinberg MS, Planelles V, Morris KV. Broadly active zinc finger protein-guided transcriptional activation of HIV-1. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2021; 20:18-29. [PMID: 33335944 PMCID: PMC7726486 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) causes a persistent viral infection resulting in the demise of immune regulatory cells. Clearance of HIV-1 infection results in integration of proviral DNA into the genome of host cells, which provides a means for evasion and long-term persistence. A therapeutic compound that specifically targets and sustainably activates a latent HIV-1 provirus could be transformative and is the goal for the "shock-and-kill" approach to a functional cure for HIV-1. Substantial progress has been made toward the development of recombinant proteins that target specific genomic loci for gene activation, repression, or inactivation by directed mutations. However, most of these modalities are too large or too complex for efficient therapeutic application. We describe here the development and testing of a novel recombinant zinc finger protein transactivator, ZFP-362-VPR, which specifically and potently enhances proviral HIV-1 transcription both in established latency models and activity across different viral clades. Additionally, ZFP-362-VPR-activated HIV-1 reporter gene expression in a well-established primary human CD4+ T cell latency model and off-target pathways were determined by transcriptome analyses. This study provides clear proof of concept for the application of a novel, therapeutically relevant, protein transactivator to purge cellular reservoirs of HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan A. Scott
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Denis O’Meally
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Nicole Anne Grepo
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Citradewi Soemardy
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010, USA
| | - Daniel C. Lazar
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yue Zheng
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, Salt Lake City, UT 92037, USA
| | - Marc S. Weinberg
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Disease, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Wits-SAMRC Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Unit, Department of Molecular Medicine & Hematology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- HIV Pathogenesis Research Unit, Department of Molecular Medicine and Haematology, School of Pathology, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Vicente Planelles
- University of Utah School of Medicine, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Department of Pathology, Salt Lake City, UT 92037, USA
| | - Kevin V. Morris
- Center for Gene Therapy, City of Hope, Beckman Research Institute and Hematological Malignancy and Stem Cell Transplantation Institute at the City of Hope, 1500 E. Duarte Rd., Duarte, CA 91010, USA
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21
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Kazi TA, Biswas SR. CRISPR/dCas system as the modulator of gene expression. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2021; 178:99-122. [PMID: 33685602 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas has been a very exciting field of research because of its multifaceted applications in biological science for editing genome. This tool can be programmed to target any region of DNA of choice by designing gRNA. The potential of gRNA to recruit a CRISPR-associated protein at a specific genomic site allowed scientists to engineer genome of diverse species for research and development. The application of Cas9 has been further expanded with a recently developed catalytically inactive protein (dead Cas9). CRISPR/dCas system is widely used as a programmable vector to deliver functional cargo (transcriptional effectors) to the desired sites at the genome for targeted transcriptional repression (CRISPR interference, CRISPRi) or activation (CRISPR activation, CRISPRa). It is now possible to regulate gene expression in cells without altering the DNA sequence. These CRISPRi/a toolboxes have explored many unsolved biological issues. Further research on CRISPR system could help diagnose and treat various human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tawsif Ahmed Kazi
- Department of Botany, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal, India
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22
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Sgro A, Blancafort P. Epigenome engineering: new technologies for precision medicine. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 48:12453-12482. [PMID: 33196851 PMCID: PMC7736826 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkaa1000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 10/10/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin adopts different configurations that are regulated by reversible covalent modifications, referred to as epigenetic marks. Epigenetic inhibitors have been approved for clinical use to restore epigenetic aberrations that result in silencing of tumor-suppressor genes, oncogene addictions, and enhancement of immune responses. However, these drugs suffer from major limitations, such as a lack of locus selectivity and potential toxicities. Technological advances have opened a new era of precision molecular medicine to reprogram cellular physiology. The locus-specificity of CRISPR/dCas9/12a to manipulate the epigenome is rapidly becoming a highly promising strategy for personalized medicine. This review focuses on new state-of-the-art epigenome editing approaches to modify the epigenome of neoplasms and other disease models towards a more 'normal-like state', having characteristics of normal tissue counterparts. We highlight biomolecular engineering methodologies to assemble, regulate, and deliver multiple epigenetic effectors that maximize the longevity of the therapeutic effect, and we discuss limitations of the platforms such as targeting efficiency and intracellular delivery for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustin Sgro
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia.,School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Pilar Blancafort
- Cancer Epigenetics Laboratory, The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009, Australia.,School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia.,The Greehey Children's Cancer Research Institute, The University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
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23
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Brezgin S, Kostyusheva A, Ponomareva N, Volia V, Goptar I, Nikiforova A, Shilovskiy I, Smirnov V, Kostyushev D, Chulanov V. Clearing of Foreign Episomal DNA from Human Cells by CRISPRa-Mediated Activation of Cytidine Deaminases. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21186865. [PMID: 32962129 PMCID: PMC7557733 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Restriction of foreign DNA is a fundamental defense mechanism required for maintaining genomic stability and proper function of mammalian cells. APOBEC cytidine deaminases are crucial effector molecules involved in clearing pathogenic DNA of viruses and other microorganisms and improperly localized self-DNA (DNA leakages). Mastering the expression of APOBEC provides the crucial means both for developing novel therapeutic approaches for combating infectious and non-infectious diseases and for numerous research purposes. In this study, we report successful application of a CRISPRa approach to effectively and specifically overexpress APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B deaminases and describe their effects on episomal and integrated foreign DNA. This method increased target gene transcription by >6–50-fold in HEK293T cells. Furthermore, CRISPRa-mediated activation of APOBEC3A/APOBEC3B suppressed episomal but not integrated foreign DNA. Episomal GC-rich DNA was rapidly destabilized and destroyed by CRISPRa-induced APOBEC3A/APOBEC3B, while the remaining DNA templates harbored frequent deaminated nucleotides. To conclude, the CRISPRa approach could be readily utilized for manipulating innate immunity and investigating the effects of the key effector molecules on foreign nucleic acids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Brezgin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, National Medical Research Center for Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (N.P.); (V.V.); (V.C.)
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency, 115522 Moscow, Russia; (I.S.); (V.S.)
| | - Anastasiya Kostyusheva
- Department of Molecular Biology and Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, National Medical Research Center for Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (N.P.); (V.V.); (V.C.)
| | - Natalia Ponomareva
- Department of Molecular Biology and Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, National Medical Research Center for Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (N.P.); (V.V.); (V.C.)
| | - Viktoriia Volia
- Department of Molecular Biology and Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, National Medical Research Center for Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (N.P.); (V.V.); (V.C.)
| | - Irina Goptar
- Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health, 105275 Moscow, Russia; (I.G.); (A.N.)
| | - Anastasiya Nikiforova
- Izmerov Research Institute of Occupational Health, 105275 Moscow, Russia; (I.G.); (A.N.)
| | - Igor Shilovskiy
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency, 115522 Moscow, Russia; (I.S.); (V.S.)
| | - Valery Smirnov
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency, 115522 Moscow, Russia; (I.S.); (V.S.)
| | - Dmitry Kostyushev
- Department of Molecular Biology and Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, National Medical Research Center for Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (N.P.); (V.V.); (V.C.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Vladimir Chulanov
- Department of Molecular Biology and Immunopathology of Infectious Diseases, National Medical Research Center for Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, 127994 Moscow, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (N.P.); (V.V.); (V.C.)
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119146 Moscow, Russia
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24
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Perdigão PR, Cunha-Santos C, Barbas CF, Santa-Marta M, Goncalves J. Protein Delivery of Cell-Penetrating Zinc-Finger Activators Stimulates Latent HIV-1-Infected Cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2020; 18:145-158. [PMID: 32637446 PMCID: PMC7317221 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite efforts to develop effective treatments for eradicating HIV-1, a cure has not yet been achieved. Whereas antiretroviral drugs target an actively replicating virus, latent, nonreplicative forms persist during treatment. Pharmacological strategies that reactivate latent HIV-1 and expose cellular reservoirs to antiretroviral therapy and the host immune system have, so far, been unsuccessful, often triggering severe side effects, mainly due to systemic immune activation. Here, we present an alternative approach for stimulating latent HIV-1 expression via direct protein delivery of cell-penetrating zinc-finger activators (ZFAs). Cys2-His2 zinc-fingers, fused to a transcription activation domain, were engineered to recognize the HIV-1 promoter and induce targeted viral transcription. Following conjugation with multiple positively charged nuclear localization signal (NLS) repeats, protein delivery of a single ZFA (3NLS-PBS1-VP64) efficiently internalized HIV-1 latently infected T-lymphocytes and specifically stimulated viral expression. We show that short-term treatment with this ZFA protein induces higher levels of viral reactivation in cell line models of HIV-1 latency than those observed with gene delivery. Our work establishes protein delivery of ZFA as a novel and safe approach toward eradication of HIV-1 reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro R.L. Perdigão
- Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology Department, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Catarina Cunha-Santos
- Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology Department, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Carlos F. Barbas
- Department of Chemistry, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, The Skaggs Institute for Chemical Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mariana Santa-Marta
- Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology Department, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Joao Goncalves
- Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology Department, Research Institute for Medicines (iMed ULisboa), Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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25
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Sullivan NT, Allen AG, Atkins AJ, Chung CH, Dampier W, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B. Designing Safer CRISPR/Cas9 Therapeutics for HIV: Defining Factors That Regulate and Technologies Used to Detect Off-Target Editing. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1872. [PMID: 32903440 PMCID: PMC7434968 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection has resulted in the death of upward of 39 million people since being discovered in the early 1980s. A cure strategy for HIV-1 has eluded scientists, but gene editing technologies such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) offer a new approach to developing a cure for HIV infection. While the CRISPR/Cas9 system has been used successfully in a number of different types of studies, there remains a concern for off-target effects. This review details the different aspects of the Cas9 system and how they play a role in off-target events. In addition, this review describes the current technologies available for detecting off-target cleavage events and their advantages and disadvantages. While some studies have utilized whole genome sequencing (WGS), this method sacrifices depth of coverage for interrogating the whole genome. A number of different approaches have now been developed to take advantage of next generation sequencing (NGS) without sacrificing depth of coverage. This review highlights four widely used methods for detecting off-target events: (1) genome-wide unbiased identification of double-stranded break events enabled by sequencing (GUIDE-Seq), (2) discovery of in situ Cas off-targets and verification by sequencing (DISCOVER-Seq), (3) circularization for in vitro reporting of cleavage effects by sequencing (CIRCLE-Seq), and (4) breaks labeling in situ and sequencing (BLISS). Each of these technologies has advantages and disadvantages, but all center around capturing double-stranded break (DSB) events catalyzed by the Cas9 endonuclease. Being able to define off-target events is crucial for a gene therapy cure strategy for HIV-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil T Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Alexander G Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Andrew J Atkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Cheng-Han Chung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Will Dampier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael R Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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26
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Shakirova KM, Ovchinnikova VY, Dashinimaev EB. Cell Reprogramming With CRISPR/Cas9 Based Transcriptional Regulation Systems. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2020; 8:882. [PMID: 32850737 PMCID: PMC7399070 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2020.00882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The speed of reprogramming technologies evolution is rising dramatically in modern science. Both the scientific community and health workers depend on such developments due to the lack of safe autogenic cells and tissues for regenerative medicine, genome editing tools and reliable screening techniques. To perform experiments efficiently and to propel the fundamental science it is important to keep up with novel modifications and techniques that are being discovered almost weekly. One of them is CRISPR/Cas9 based genome and transcriptome editing. The aim of this article is to summarize currently existing CRISPR/Cas9 applications for cell reprogramming, mainly, to compare them with other non-CRISPR approaches and to highlight future perspectives and opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenia M Shakirova
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Viktoriia Y Ovchinnikova
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.,Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Erdem B Dashinimaev
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.,Center for Precision Genome Editing and Genetic Technologies for Biomedicine, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow, Russia
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27
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Mohammadzadeh I, Qujeq D, Yousefi T, Ferns GA, Maniati M, Vaghari-Tabari M. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing: A new therapeutic approach in the treatment of infection and autoimmunity. IUBMB Life 2020; 72:1603-1621. [PMID: 32344465 DOI: 10.1002/iub.2296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein9) may be viewed as an adaptive bacterial immune system. When a virus infects a bacterium, a fragment of the virus genome is inserted into the CRISPR sequence of the bacterial genome as a memory. When the bacterium becomes infected again with the same virus, an RNA molecule that is a transcript of the memory sequence, directs Cas9, an endonuclease, to the complementary region of the virus genome, and Cas9 disables the virus by a double-strand break. In recent years, studies have shown that by designing synthetic RNA molecules and delivering them along with Cas9 into eukaryotic cells, different regions of the cell's genome can be targeted and manipulated. These findings have drawn much attention to this new technology and it has been shown that CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing can be used to treat some human diseases. These include infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases. In this review article, in addition to a brief overview of the biology of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, we collected the most recent findings on the applications of CRISPR/Cas9 technology for better investigation of the pathogenesis and treatment of viral infections (human immunodeficiency virus infection, hepatitis virus infections, and onco-virus infections), non-viral infections (parasitic, fungal, and bacterial infections), and autoimmune diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iraj Mohammadzadeh
- Non-Communicable Pediatric Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Durdi Qujeq
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center (CMBRC), Health Research Institute, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran.,Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Tooba Yousefi
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Babol University of Medical Sciences, Babol, Iran
| | - Gordon A Ferns
- Department of Medical Education, Brighton & Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Mahmood Maniati
- English Department, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Mostafa Vaghari-Tabari
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.,Immunology Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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28
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Schwarzer R, Gramatica A, Greene WC. Reduce and Control: A Combinatorial Strategy for Achieving Sustained HIV Remissions in the Absence of Antiretroviral Therapy. Viruses 2020; 12:v12020188. [PMID: 32046251 PMCID: PMC7077203 DOI: 10.3390/v12020188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) indefinitely persists, despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART), within a small pool of latently infected cells. These cells often display markers of immunologic memory and harbor both replication-competent and -incompetent proviruses at approximately a 1:100 ratio. Although complete HIV eradication is a highly desirable goal, this likely represents a bridge too far for our current and foreseeable technologies. A more tractable goal involves engineering a sustained viral remission in the absence of ART––a “functional cure.” In this setting, HIV remains detectable during remission, but the size of the reservoir is small and the residual virus is effectively controlled by an engineered immune response or other intervention. Biological precedence for such an approach is found in the post-treatment controllers (PTCs), a rare group of HIV-infected individuals who, following ART withdrawal, do not experience viral rebound. PTCs are characterized by a small reservoir, greatly reduced inflammation, and the presence of a poorly understood immune response that limits viral rebound. Our goal is to devise a safe and effective means for replicating durable post-treatment control on a global scale. This requires devising methods to reduce the size of the reservoir and to control replication of this residual virus. In the following sections, we will review many of the approaches and tools that likely will be important for implementing such a “reduce and control” strategy and for achieving a PTC-like sustained HIV remission in the absence of ART.
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29
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Brezgin S, Kostyusheva A, Kostyushev D, Chulanov V. Dead Cas Systems: Types, Principles, and Applications. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E6041. [PMID: 31801211 PMCID: PMC6929090 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20236041] [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: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The gene editing tool CRISPR-Cas has become the foundation for developing numerous molecular systems used in research and, increasingly, in medical practice. In particular, Cas proteins devoid of nucleolytic activity (dead Cas proteins; dCas) can be used to deliver functional cargo to programmed sites in the genome. In this review, we describe current CRISPR systems used for developing different dCas-based molecular approaches and summarize their most significant applications. We conclude with comments on the state-of-art in the CRISPR field and future directions.
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MESH Headings
- CRISPR-Associated Protein 9/genetics
- CRISPR-Associated Protein 9/metabolism
- CRISPR-Cas Systems
- Chromatin/chemistry
- Chromatin/metabolism
- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats
- Communicable Diseases/genetics
- Communicable Diseases/metabolism
- Communicable Diseases/pathology
- Communicable Diseases/therapy
- DNA Methylation
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Gene Editing/methods
- Genetic Diseases, Inborn/genetics
- Genetic Diseases, Inborn/metabolism
- Genetic Diseases, Inborn/pathology
- Genetic Diseases, Inborn/therapy
- Genome, Human
- Histones/genetics
- Histones/metabolism
- Humans
- Inflammation/genetics
- Inflammation/metabolism
- Inflammation/pathology
- Inflammation/therapy
- Neoplasms/genetics
- Neoplasms/metabolism
- Neoplasms/pathology
- Neoplasms/therapy
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics
- RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Brezgin
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, Moscow 127994, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (V.C.)
- Institute of Immunology, Federal Medical Biological Agency, Moscow 115522, Russia
| | - Anastasiya Kostyusheva
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, Moscow 127994, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (V.C.)
| | - Dmitry Kostyushev
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, Moscow 127994, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (V.C.)
| | - Vladimir Chulanov
- National Medical Research Center of Tuberculosis and Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, Moscow 127994, Russia; (S.B.); (A.K.); (V.C.)
- Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119146, Russia
- Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Moscow 111123, Russia
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30
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Sullivan NT, Dampier W, Chung CH, Allen AG, Atkins A, Pirrone V, Homan G, Passic S, Williams J, Zhong W, Kercher K, Desimone M, Li L, C Antell G, Mell JC, Ehrlich GD, Szep Z, Jacobson JM, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B. Novel gRNA design pipeline to develop broad-spectrum CRISPR/Cas9 gRNAs for safe targeting of the HIV-1 quasispecies in patients. Sci Rep 2019; 9:17088. [PMID: 31745112 PMCID: PMC6864089 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52353-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been proposed as a cure strategy for HIV. However, few published guide RNAs (gRNAs) are predicted to cleave the majority of HIV-1 viral quasispecies (vQS) observed within and among patients. We report the design of a novel pipeline to identify gRNAs that target HIV across a large number of infected individuals. Next generation sequencing (NGS) of LTRs from 269 HIV-1-infected samples in the Drexel CARES Cohort was used to select gRNAs with predicted broad-spectrum activity. In silico, D-LTR-P4-227913 (package of the top 4 gRNAs) accounted for all detectable genetic variation within the vQS of the 269 samples and the Los Alamos National Laboratory HIV database. In silico secondary structure analyses from NGS indicated extensive TAR stem-loop malformations predicted to inactivate proviral transcription, which was confirmed by reduced viral gene expression in TZM-bl or P4R5 cells. Similarly, a high sensitivity in vitro CRISPR/Cas9 cleavage assay showed that the top-ranked gRNA was the most effective at cleaving patient-derived HIV-1 LTRs from five patients. Furthermore, the D-LTR-P4-227913 was predicted to cleave a median of 96.1% of patient-derived sequences from other HIV subtypes. These results demonstrate that the gRNAs possess broad-spectrum cutting activity and could contribute to an HIV cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil T Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Will Dampier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Cheng-Han Chung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Alexander G Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Andrew Atkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Vanessa Pirrone
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Greg Homan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Shendra Passic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Jean Williams
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Wen Zhong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Katherine Kercher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Mathew Desimone
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Luna Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Gregory C Antell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- School of Biomedical Engineering and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joshua Chang Mell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19102, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19102, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Garth D Ehrlich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19102, Pennsylvania, USA
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19102, Pennsylvania, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, 19102, PA, USA
| | - Zsofia Szep
- Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Infectious Disease and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Jacobson
- Department of Neuroscience and Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, 19140, PA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Disease, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, 19140, PA, USA
- Center for Translational AIDS Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, 19140, PA, USA
| | - Michael R Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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31
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Olson A, Basukala B, Wong WW, Henderson AJ. Targeting HIV-1 proviral transcription. Curr Opin Virol 2019; 38:89-96. [PMID: 31473372 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2019.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Despite the success of antiretroviral therapies, there is no cure for HIV-1 infection due to the establishment of a long-lived latent reservoir that fuels viral rebound upon treatment interruption. 'Shock-and-kill' strategies to diminish the latent reservoir have had modest impact on the reservoir leading to considerations of alternative approaches to target HIV-1 proviruses. This review explores approaches to target HIV-1 transcription as a way to block the provirus expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Olson
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Binita Basukala
- Cell & Molecular Biology, Biology, Boston University, United States
| | - Wilson W Wong
- Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, United States
| | - Andrew J Henderson
- Department of Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Boston University School of Medicine, United States.
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32
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Yang H, Li X, Yang X, Lu P, Wang Y, Jiang Z, Pan H, Zhao L, Zhu Y, Khan IU, Shen Y, Lu H, Zhang T, Jiang G, Ma Z, Wu H, Zhu H. Dual effects of the novel ingenol derivatives on the acute and latent HIV-1 infections. Antiviral Res 2019; 169:104555. [PMID: 31295520 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2019.104555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The latent reservoir of HIV-1 in resting memory CD4+ T cells serves as a major barrier to curing HIV-1 infection. Reactivation of latent HIV-1 is proposed as a promising strategy for the clearance of the viral reservoirs. Because of the limitations of current latency reversal agents (LRAs), identification of new LRAs is urgently required. Here, we analyzed Euphorbia kansui extracts and obtained three ingenol derivative compounds named EK-1A, EK-5A and EK-15A. We found that ingenol derivatives can effectively reactivate latent HIV-1 at very low (nanomolar) concentrations in HIV latency model in vitro. Furthermore, ingenol derivatives exhibited synergy with other LRAs in reactivating latent HIV-1. We verified that EK-15A can promote latent HIV-1 reactivation in the ex vivo resting CD4+ T cells isolated from the peripheral blood of HIV-infected individuals on suppressive antiretroviral therapy. In addition, ingenol derivatives down-regulated the expression of cell surface HIV co-receptors CCR5 and CXCR4, therefore potentially preventing new infection of HIV-1. Our results indicated that the ingenol derivatives extracted from Euphorbia kansui have dual functions: reactivation of latent HIV-1 and inhibition of HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Xinyi Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Panpan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yanan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Zhengtao Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Hanyu Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Lin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yuqi Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Inam Ullah Khan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Yinzhong Shen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongzhou Lu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology of Ministry of Education/Health, Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China
| | - Guochun Jiang
- UNC HIV Cure Center, IGHID, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Zhongjun Ma
- Institute of Marine Biology, Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
| | - Hao Wu
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
| | - Huanzhang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200438, China.
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Abstract
As the HIV pandemic rapidly spread worldwide in the 1980s and 1990s, a new approach to treat cancer, genetic diseases, and infectious diseases was also emerging. Cell and gene therapy strategies are connected with human pathologies at a fundamental level, by delivering DNA and RNA molecules that could correct and/or ameliorate the underlying genetic factors of any illness. The history of HIV gene therapy is especially intriguing, in that the virus that was targeted was soon co-opted to become part of the targeting strategy. Today, HIV-based lentiviral vectors, along with many other gene delivery strategies, have been used to evaluate HIV cure approaches in cell culture, small and large animal models, and in patients. Here, we trace HIV cell and gene therapy from the earliest clinical trials, using genetically unmodified cell products from the patient or from matched donors, through current state-of-the-art strategies. These include engineering HIV-specific immunity in T-cells, gene editing approaches to render all blood cells in the body HIV-resistant, and most importantly, combination therapies that draw from both of these respective "offensive" and "defensive" approaches. It is widely agreed upon that combinatorial approaches are the most promising route to functional cure/remission of HIV infection. This chapter outlines cell and gene therapy strategies that are poised to play an essential role in eradicating HIV-infected cells in vivo.
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34
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Pignani S, Zappaterra F, Barbon E, Follenzi A, Bovolenta M, Bernardi F, Branchini A, Pinotti M. Tailoring the CRISPR system to transactivate coagulation gene promoters in normal and mutated contexts. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2019; 1862:619-624. [PMID: 31005673 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Engineered transcription factors (TF) have expanded our ability to modulate gene expression and hold great promise as bio-therapeutics. The first-generation TF, based on Zinc Fingers or Transcription-Activator-like Effectors (TALE), required complex and time-consuming assembly protocols, and were indeed replaced in recent years by the CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) technology. Here, with coagulation F7/F8 gene promoters as models, we exploited a CRISPRa system based on deactivated (d)Cas9, fused with a transcriptional activator (VPR), which is driven to its target by a single guide (sg)RNA. Reporter gene assays in hepatoma cells identified a sgRNA (sgRNAF7.5) triggering a ~35-fold increase in the activity of F7 promoter, either wild-type, or defective due to the c.-61T>G mutation. The effect was higher (~15-fold) than that of an engineered TALE-TF (TF4) targeting the same promoter region. Noticeably, when challenged on the endogenous F7 gene, the dCas9-VPR/sgRNAF7.5 combination was more efficient (~6.5-fold) in promoting factor VII (FVII) protein secretion/activity than TF4 (~3.8-fold). The approach was translated to the promoter of F8, whose reduced expression causes hemophilia A. Reporter gene assays in hepatic and endothelial cells identified sgRNAs that, respectively, appreciably increased F8 promoter activity (sgRNAF8.1, ~8-fold and 3-fold; sgRNAF8.2, ~19-fold and 2-fold) with synergistic effects (~38-fold and 2.7-fold). Since modest increases in F7/F8 expression would ameliorate patients' phenotype, the CRISPRa-mediated transactivation extent might approach the low therapeutic threshold. Through this pioneer study we demonstrated that the CRISPRa system is easily tailorable to increase expression, or rescue disease-causing mutations, of different promoters, with potential intriguing implications for human disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Pignani
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Italy; Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont Amedeo Avogadro, Novara, Italy
| | | | - Elena Barbon
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Italy; Genethon and INSERM U951, 91000 Evry, France
| | - Antonia Follenzi
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Piedmont Amedeo Avogadro, Novara, Italy
| | - Matteo Bovolenta
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Italy; Genethon and INSERM U951, 91000 Evry, France
| | - Francesco Bernardi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Italy
| | - Alessio Branchini
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Mirko Pinotti
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Italy
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35
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CRISPR/Cas9-Based Antiviral Strategy: Current Status and the Potential Challenge. Molecules 2019; 24:molecules24071349. [PMID: 30959782 PMCID: PMC6480260 DOI: 10.3390/molecules24071349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 04/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
From its unexpected discovery as a bacterial adaptive immune system to its countless applications as one of the most versatile gene-editing tools, the CRISPR/Cas9 system has revolutionized every field of life science. Virology is no exception to this ever-growing list of CRISPR/Cas9-based applications. Direct manipulation of a virus genome by CRISPR/Cas9 has enabled a systematic study of cis-elements and trans-elements encoded in a virus genome. In addition, this virus genome-specific mutagenesis by CRISPR/Cas9 was further funneled into the development of a novel class of antiviral therapy targeting many incurable chronic viral infections. In this review, a general concept on the CRISPR/Cas9-based antiviral strategy will be described first. To understand the current status of the CRISPR/Cas9-based antiviral approach, a series of recently published antiviral studies involving CRISPR/Cas9-mediated control of several clinically-relevant viruses including human immunodeficiency virus, hepatitis B virus, herpesviruses, human papillomavirus, and other viruses will be presented. Lastly, the potential challenge and future prospect for successful clinical translation of this CRISPR/Cas9-based antiviral method will be discussed.
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36
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Xiao Q, Guo D, Chen S. Application of CRISPR/Cas9-Based Gene Editing in HIV-1/AIDS Therapy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:69. [PMID: 30968001 PMCID: PMC6439341 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the fact that great efforts have been made in the prevention and therapy of HIV-1 infection, HIV-1/AIDS remains a major threat to global human health. Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can suppress virus replication, but it cannot eradicate latent viral reservoirs in HIV-1/AIDS patients. Recently, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9 (Cas9) system has been engineered as an effective gene-editing technology with the potential to treat HIV-1/AIDS. It can be used to target cellular co-factors or HIV-1 genome to reduce HIV-1 infection and clear the provirus, as well as to induce transcriptional activation of latent virus in latent viral reservoirs for elimination. This versatile gene editing technology has been successfully applied to HIV-1/AIDS prevention and reduction in human cells and animal models. Here, we update the rapid progress of CRISPR/Cas9-based HIV-1/AIDS therapy research in recent years and discuss the limitations and future perspectives of its application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoqiao Xiao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Laboratory of Medical Virology, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Deyin Guo
- Laboratory of Medical Virology, School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuliang Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Virology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China.,Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Center for Retrovirus Research, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
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37
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Dampier W, Sullivan NT, Mell JC, Pirrone V, Ehrlich GD, Chung CH, Allen AG, DeSimone M, Zhong W, Kercher K, Passic S, Williams JW, Szep Z, Khalili K, Jacobson JM, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B. Broad-Spectrum and Personalized Guide RNAs for CRISPR/Cas9 HIV-1 Therapeutics. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2018; 34:950-960. [PMID: 29968495 PMCID: PMC6238604 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2017.0274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated Cas9 system has been used to excise the HIV-1 proviral genome from latently infected cells, potentially offering a cure for HIV-infected patients. Recent studies have shown that most published HIV-1 guide RNAs (gRNAs) do not account for the diverse viral quasispecies within or among patients, which continue to diversify with time even in long-term antiretroviral therapy (ART)-suppressed patients. Given this observation, proviral genomes were deep sequenced from 23 HIV-1-infected patients in the Drexel Medicine CNS AIDS Research and Eradication Study cohort at two different visits. Based on the spectrum of integrated proviral DNA polymorphisms observed, three gRNA design strategies were explored: based on the patient's own HIV-1 sequences (personalized), based on consensus sequences from a large sample of patients [broad-spectrum (BS)], or a combination of both approaches. Using a bioinformatic algorithm, the personalized gRNA design was predicted to cut 46 of 48 patient samples at 90% efficiency, whereas the top 4 BS gRNAs (BS4) were predicted to excise provirus from 44 of 48 patient samples with 90% efficiency. Using a mixed design with the top three BS gRNAs plus one personalized gRNA (BS3 + PS1) resulted in predicted excision of provirus from 45 of 48 patient samples with 90% efficiency. In summary, these studies used an algorithmic design strategy to identify potential BS gRNAs to target a spectrum of HIV-1 long teriminal repeat (LTR) quasispecies for use with a small HIV-1-infected population. This approach should advance CRISPR/Cas9 excision technology taking into account the extensive molecular heterogeneity of HIV-1 that persists in situ after prolonged ART.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will Dampier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Neil T. Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Joshua Chang Mell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Vanessa Pirrone
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Garth D. Ehrlich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Advanced Microbial Processing, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Cheng-Han Chung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Alexander G. Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Mathew DeSimone
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Wen Zhong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Katherine Kercher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Shendra Passic
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jean W. Williams
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Zsofia Szep
- Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kamel Khalili
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neurovirology, and Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Translational AIDS Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jeffrey M. Jacobson
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neurovirology, and Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Translational AIDS Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Section of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael R. Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Center for Clinical and Translational Medicine, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Yin L, Hu S, Mei S, Sun H, Xu F, Li J, Zhu W, Liu X, Zhao F, Zhang D, Cen S, Liang C, Guo F. CRISPR/Cas9 Inhibits Multiple Steps of HIV-1 Infection. Hum Gene Ther 2018; 29:1264-1276. [PMID: 29644868 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2018.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 is an adaptive immune system where bacteria and archaea have evolved to resist the invading viruses and plasmid DNA by creating site-specific double-strand breaks in DNA. This study tested this gene editing system in inhibiting human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection by targeting the viral long terminal repeat and the gene coding sequences. Strong inhibition of HIV-1 infection by Cas9/gRNA was observed, which resulted not only from insertions and deletions (indels) that were introduced into viral DNA due to Cas9 cleavage, but also from the marked decrease in the levels of the late viral DNA products and the integrated viral DNA. This latter defect might have reflected the degradation of viral DNA that has not been immediately repaired after Cas9 cleavage. It was further observed that Cas9, when solely located in the cytoplasm, inhibits HIV-1 as strongly as the nuclear Cas9, except that the cytoplasmic Cas9 does not act on the integrated HIV-1 DNA and thus cannot be used to excise the latent provirus. Together, the results suggest that Cas9/gRNA is able to target and edit HIV-1 DNA both in the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. The inhibitory effect of Cas9 on HIV-1 is attributed to both the indels in viral DNA and the reduction in the levels of viral DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Yin
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Siqi Hu
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Shan Mei
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Hong Sun
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fengwen Xu
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Jian Li
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Weijun Zhu
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoman Liu
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fei Zhao
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Di Zhang
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Shan Cen
- 2 Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Chen Liang
- 3 McGill University AIDS Centre , Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Fei Guo
- 1 MOH Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Institute of Pathogen Biology, and Center for AIDS Research, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, P.R. China
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Ebrahimi S, Teimoori A, Khanbabaei H, Tabasi M. Harnessing CRISPR/Cas 9 System for manipulation of DNA virus genome. Rev Med Virol 2018; 29:e2009. [PMID: 30260068 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The recent development of the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system, a genome editing system, has many potential applications in virology. The possibility of introducing site specific breaks has provided new possibilities to precisely manipulate viral genomics. Here, we provide diagrams to summarize the steps involved in the process. We also systematically review recent applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for manipulation of DNA virus genomics and discuss the therapeutic potential of the system to treat viral diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saeedeh Ebrahimi
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Ali Teimoori
- Infectious and Tropical Diseases Research Center, Health Research Institute, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.,Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Hashem Khanbabaei
- Medical Physics Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
| | - Maryam Tabasi
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Medicine, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran
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Zhang Y, Arango G, Li F, Xiao X, Putatunda R, Yu J, Yang XF, Wang H, Watson LT, Zhang L, Hu W. Comprehensive off-target analysis of dCas9-SAM-mediated HIV reactivation via long noncoding RNA and mRNA profiling. BMC Med Genomics 2018; 11:78. [PMID: 30200981 PMCID: PMC6131778 DOI: 10.1186/s12920-018-0394-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background CRISPR/CAS9 (epi)genome editing revolutionized the field of gene and cell therapy. Our previous study demonstrated that a rapid and robust reactivation of the HIV latent reservoir by a catalytically-deficient Cas9 (dCas9)-synergistic activation mediator (SAM) via HIV long terminal repeat (LTR)-specific MS2-mediated single guide RNAs (msgRNAs) directly induces cellular suicide without additional immunotherapy. However, potential off-target effect remains a concern for any clinical application of Cas9 genome editing and dCas9 epigenome editing. After dCas9 treatment, potential off-target responses have been analyzed through different strategies such as mRNA sequence analysis, and functional screening. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of the host transcriptome including mRNA, lncRNA, and alternative splicing was performed using human cell lines expressing dCas9-SAM and HIV-targeting msgRNAs. Results The control scrambled msgRNA (LTR_Zero), and two LTR-specific msgRNAs (LTR_L and LTR_O) groups show very similar expression profiles of the whole transcriptome. Among 839 identified lncRNAs, none exhibited significantly different expression in LTR_L vs. LTR_Zero group. In LTR_O group, only TERC and scaRNA2 lncRNAs were significantly decreased. Among 142,791 mRNAs, four genes were differentially expressed in LTR_L vs. LTR_Zero group. There were 21 genes significantly downregulated in LTR_O vs. either LTR_Zero or LTR_L group and one third of them are histone related. The distributions of different types of alternative splicing were very similar either within or between groups. There were no apparent changes in all the lncRNA and mRNA transcripts between the LTR_L and LTR_Zero groups. Conclusion This is an extremely comprehensive study demonstrating the rare off-target effects of the HIV-specific dCas9-SAM system in human cells. This finding is encouraging for the safe application of dCas9-SAM technology to induce target-specific reactivation of latent HIV for an effective “shock-and-kill” strategy. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12920-018-0394-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonggang Zhang
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.,Center for Stem Cell Research and Application, Institute of Blood Transfusion, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CAMS & PUMC), Chengdu, 610052, China
| | - Gustavo Arango
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Fang Li
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Raj Putatunda
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Jun Yu
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Xiao-Feng Yang
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Hong Wang
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Layne T Watson
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.,Department of Mathematics, Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Liqing Zhang
- Department of Computer Science, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.
| | - Wenhui Hu
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA. .,Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine, 3500 N Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
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41
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Castro-Gonzalez S, Colomer-Lluch M, Serra-Moreno R. Barriers for HIV Cure: The Latent Reservoir. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2018; 34:739-759. [PMID: 30056745 PMCID: PMC6152859 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2018.0118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Thirty-five years after the identification of HIV-1 as the causative agent of AIDS, we are still in search of vaccines and treatments to eradicate this devastating infectious disease. Progress has been made in understanding the molecular pathogenesis of this infection, which has been crucial for the development of the current therapy regimens. However, despite their efficacy at limiting active viral replication, these drugs are unable to purge the latent reservoir: a pool of cells that harbor transcriptionally inactive, but replication-competent HIV-1 proviruses, and that represent the main barrier to eradicate HIV-1 from affected individuals. In this review, we discuss advances in the field that have allowed a better understanding of HIV-1 latency, including the diverse cell types that constitute the latent reservoir, factors influencing latency, tools to study HIV-1 latency, as well as current and prospective therapeutic approaches to target these latently infected cells, so a functional cure for HIV/AIDS can become a reality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Castro-Gonzalez
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
| | - Marta Colomer-Lluch
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Spain
| | - Ruth Serra-Moreno
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas
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42
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Wu W, Yang Y, Lei H. Progress in the application of CRISPR: From gene to base editing. Med Res Rev 2018; 39:665-683. [PMID: 30171624 DOI: 10.1002/med.21537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wenyi Wu
- Department of OphthalmologyXiangya Hospital, Central South UniversityChangsha China
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical SchoolSchepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and EarBoston Massachusetts
| | - Yanhui Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical SchoolSchepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and EarBoston Massachusetts
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ningxia Medical UniversityYinchuan China
| | - Hetian Lei
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical SchoolSchepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and EarBoston Massachusetts
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43
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Deng Q, Chen Z, Shi L, Lin H. Developmental progress of CRISPR/Cas9 and its therapeutic applications for HIV-1 infection. Rev Med Virol 2018; 28:e1998. [PMID: 30024073 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system has been developed as a powerful tool for targeted gene editing. As a result of technical enhancements in recent years, this technology has become the method of choice for efficiently modifying targeted HIV-1 genome efficiently as part of HIV therapy. CRISPR can be modified to target specific sequences that Cas9 then cuts. In this article, we outline the development of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. We also show how this technology can be used for the prevention and treatment of HIV-1 infection. Optimistically, this technology promises to make a significant impact on the fight against HIV-1 in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiudi Deng
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zisheng Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The sixth affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Qingyuan, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Department of Food Safety and Nutrition Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Huafeng Lin
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Technology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.,Department of Food Safety and Nutrition Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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44
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Zinc-Finger Nucleases Induced by HIV-1 Tat Excise HIV-1 from the Host Genome in Infected and Latently Infected Cells. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2018; 12:67-74. [PMID: 30195798 PMCID: PMC6023959 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) cannot clear infected cells harboring HIV-1 proviral DNA from HIV-1-infected patients. We previously demonstrated that zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) can specifically and efficiently excise HIV-1 proviral DNA from latently infected human T cells by targeting long terminal repeats (LTRs), a novel and alternative antiretroviral strategy for eradicating HIV-1 infection. To prevent unwanted off-target effects from constantly expressed ZFNs, in this study, we engineered the expression of ZFNs under the control of HIV-1 LTR, by which ZFN expression can be activated by the HIV-1 (Trans-Activator of Transcription) Tat protein. Our results show that functional expression of ZFNs induced by Tat excise the integrated proviral DNA of HIV-NL4-3-eGFP in approximately 30% of the population of HIV-1-infected cells. The results from HIV-1-infected human primary T cells and latently infected T cells treated with the inducible ZFNs further validated that proviral DNA can be excised. Taken together, positively regulated expression of ZFNs in the presence of HIV-1 Tat may provide a safer and novel implementation of genome-editing technology for eradicating HIV-1 proviral DNA from infected host cells.
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45
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Cherif K, Gérard C, Rousseau J, Ouellet DL, Chapdelaine P, Tremblay JP. Increased Frataxin Expression Induced in Friedreich Ataxia Cells by Platinum TALE-VP64s or Platinum TALE-SunTag. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2018; 12:19-32. [PMID: 30195758 PMCID: PMC6019861 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Frataxin gene (FXN) expression is reduced in Friedreich’s ataxia patients due to an increase in the number of GAA trinucleotides in intron 1. The frataxin protein, encoded by that gene, plays an important role in mitochondria’s iron metabolism. Platinum TALE (plTALE) proteins targeting the regulatory region of the FXN gene, fused with a transcriptional activator (TA) such as VP64 or P300, were used to increase the expression of that gene. Many effectors, plTALEVP64, plTALEp300, and plTALESunTag, targeting 14 sequences of the FXN gene promoter or intron 1 were produced. This permitted selection of 3 plTALEVP64s and 2 plTALESunTag that increased FXN gene expression by up to 19-fold in different Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) primary fibroblasts. Adeno-associated viruses were used to deliver the best effectors to the YG8R mouse model to validate their efficiencies in vivo. Our results showed that these selected plTALEVP64s or plTALESunTag induced transcriptional activity of the endogenous FXN gene as well as expression of the frataxin protein in YG8R mouse heart by 10-fold and in skeletal muscles by up to 35-fold. The aconitase activity was positively modulated by the frataxin level in mitochondria, and it was, thus, increased in vitro and in vivo by the increased frataxin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadija Cherif
- Centre de Recherche du CHU, Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Médecine Moléculaire, l'Université Laval Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Catherine Gérard
- Centre de Recherche du CHU, Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Médecine Moléculaire, l'Université Laval Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Joël Rousseau
- Centre de Recherche du CHU, Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Médecine Moléculaire, l'Université Laval Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Dominique L Ouellet
- Centre de Recherche du CHU, Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Médecine Moléculaire, l'Université Laval Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Chapdelaine
- Centre de Recherche du CHU, Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Médecine Moléculaire, l'Université Laval Québec, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Jacques P Tremblay
- Centre de Recherche du CHU, Québec-Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada; Département de Médecine Moléculaire, l'Université Laval Québec, Québec, QC, Canada.
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Darcis G, Das AT, Berkhout B. Tackling HIV Persistence: Pharmacological versus CRISPR-Based Shock Strategies. Viruses 2018; 10:v10040157. [PMID: 29596334 PMCID: PMC5923451 DOI: 10.3390/v10040157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Jan Svoboda studied aspects of viral latency, in particular with respect to disease induction by avian RNA tumor viruses, which were later renamed as part of the extended retrovirus family. The course of retroviral pathogenesis is intrinsically linked to their unique property of integrating the DNA copy of the retroviral genome into that of the host cell, thus forming the provirus. Retroviral latency has recently become of major clinical interest to allow a better understanding of why we can effectively block the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) in infected individuals with antiviral drugs, yet never reach a cure. We will discuss HIV-1 latency and its direct consequence—the formation of long-lasting HIV-1 reservoirs. We next focus on one of the most explored strategies in tackling HIV-1 reservoirs—the “shock and kill” strategy—which describes the broadly explored pharmacological way of kicking the latent provirus, with subsequent killing of the virus-producing cell by the immune system. We furthermore present how the clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and associated protein (Cas) system can be harnessed to reach the same objective by reactivating HIV-1 gene expression from latency. We will review the benefits and drawbacks of these different cure strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Darcis
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Infectious Diseases Department, Liège University Hospital, 4000 Liege, Belgium.
| | - Atze T Das
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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47
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Nguyen NT, He L, Martinez-Moczygemba M, Huang Y, Zhou Y. Rewiring Calcium Signaling for Precise Transcriptional Reprogramming. ACS Synth Biol 2018; 7:814-821. [PMID: 29489336 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.7b00467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Tools capable of modulating gene expression in living organisms are very useful for interrogating the gene regulatory network and controlling biological processes. The catalytically inactive CRISPR/Cas9 (dCas9), when fused with repressive or activating effectors, functions as a versatile platform to reprogram gene transcription at targeted genomic loci. However, without temporal control, the application of these reprogramming tools will likely cause off-target effects and lack strict reversibility. To overcome this limitation, we report herein the development of a chemical or light-inducible transcriptional reprogramming device that combines photoswitchable genetically encoded calcium actuators with dCas9 to control gene expression. By fusing an engineered Ca2+-responsive NFAT fragment with dCas9 and transcriptional coactivators, we harness the power of light to achieve photoinducible transcriptional reprogramming in mammalian cells. This synthetic system (designated CaRROT) can also be used to document calcium-dependent activity in mammals after exposure to ligands or chemicals that would elicit calcium response inside cells.
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48
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Chen S, Yu X, Guo D. CRISPR-Cas Targeting of Host Genes as an Antiviral Strategy. Viruses 2018; 10:E40. [PMID: 29337866 PMCID: PMC5795453 DOI: 10.3390/v10010040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, a new gene editing tool-the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) associated (Cas) system-is becoming a promising approach for genetic manipulation at the genomic level. This simple method, originating from the adaptive immune defense system in prokaryotes, has been developed and applied to antiviral research in humans. Based on the characteristics of virus-host interactions and the basic rules of nucleic acid cleavage or gene activation of the CRISPR-Cas system, it can be used to target both the virus genome and host factors to clear viral reservoirs and prohibit virus infection or replication. Here, we summarize recent progress of the CRISPR-Cas technology in editing host genes as an antiviral strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuliang Chen
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China.
| | - Xiao Yu
- Institute of Health Inspection and Testing, Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wuhan 430079, China.
| | - Deyin Guo
- School of Medicine (Shenzhen), Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
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49
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Wang G, Zhao N, Berkhout B, Das AT. CRISPR-Cas based antiviral strategies against HIV-1. Virus Res 2018; 244:321-332. [PMID: 28760348 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2017.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
In bacteria and archaea, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and associated proteins (Cas) confer adaptive immunity against exogenous DNA elements. This CRISPR-Cas system has been turned into an effective tool for editing of eukaryotic DNA genomes. Pathogenic viruses that have a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome or that replicate through a dsDNA intermediate can also be targeted with this DNA editing tool. Here, we review how CRISPR-Cas was used in novel therapeutic approaches against the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1), focusing on approaches that aim to permanently inactivate all virus genomes or to prevent viral persistence in latent reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wang
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Na Zhao
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Atze T Das
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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50
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Ne E, Palstra RJ, Mahmoudi T. Transcription: Insights From the HIV-1 Promoter. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2018; 335:191-243. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ircmb.2017.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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