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Gurrola TE, Effah SN, Sariyer IK, Dampier W, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B. Delivering CRISPR to the HIV-1 reservoirs. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1393974. [PMID: 38812680 PMCID: PMC11133543 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1393974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is well known as one of the most complex and difficult viral infections to cure. The difficulty in developing curative strategies arises in large part from the development of latent viral reservoirs (LVRs) within anatomical and cellular compartments of a host. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/ CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system shows remarkable potential for the inactivation and/or elimination of integrated proviral DNA within host cells, however, delivery of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to infected cells is still a challenge. In this review, the main factors impacting delivery, the challenges for delivery to each of the LVRs, and the current successes for delivery to each reservoir will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodore E. Gurrola
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Samuel N. Effah
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Ilker K. Sariyer
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Inflammation and Center for Neurovirology and Gene Editing, Temple University Lewis Katz School 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 Gene Therapy, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College 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 Gene Therapy, 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 Gene Therapy, 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
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Dampier W, Berman R, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B. Computational analysis of cas proteins unlocks new potential in HIV-1 targeted gene therapy. Front Genome Ed 2024; 5:1248982. [PMID: 38239625 PMCID: PMC10794619 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2023.1248982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) pandemic has been slowed with the advent of anti-retroviral therapy (ART). However, ART is not a cure and as such has pushed the disease into a chronic infection. One potential cure strategy that has shown promise is the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas gene editing system. It has recently been shown to successfully edit and/or excise the integrated provirus from infected cells and inhibit HIV-1 in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. These studies have primarily been conducted with SpCas9 or SaCas9. However, additional Cas proteins are discovered regularly and modifications to these known proteins are being engineered. The alternative Cas molecules have different requirements for protospacer adjacent motifs (PAMs) which impact the possible targetable regions of HIV-1. Other modifications to the Cas protein or gRNA handle impact the tolerance for mismatches between gRNA and the target. While reducing off-target risk, this impacts the ability to fully account for HIV-1 genetic variability. Methods: This manuscript strives to examine these parameter choices using a computational approach for surveying the suitability of a Cas editor for HIV-1 gene editing. The Nominate, Diversify, Narrow, Filter (NDNF) pipeline measures the safety, broadness, and effectiveness of a pool of potential gRNAs for any PAM. This technique was used to evaluate 46 different potential Cas editors for their HIV therapeutic potential. Results: Our examination revealed that broader PAMs that improve the targeting potential of editors like SaCas9 and LbCas12a have larger pools of useful gRNAs, while broader PAMs reduced the pool of useful SpCas9 gRNAs yet increased the breadth of targetable locations. Investigation of the mismatch tolerance of Cas editors indicates a 2-missmatch tolerance is an ideal balance between on-target sensitivity and off-target specificity. Of all of the Cas editors examined, SpCas-NG and SPRY-Cas9 had the highest number of overall safe, broad, and effective gRNAs against HIV. Discussion: Currently, larger proteins and wider PAMs lead to better targeting capacity. This implies that research should either be targeted towards delivering longer payloads or towards increasing the breadth of currently available small Cas editors. With the discovery and adoption of additional Cas editors, it is important for researchers in the HIV-1 gene editing field to explore the wider world of Cas editors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will Dampier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rachel Berman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College 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 Gene Therapy, 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 Gene Therapy, 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
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Allen AG, Chung CH, Worrell SD, Nwaozo G, Madrid R, Mele AR, Dampier W, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B. Assessment of anti-HIV-1 guide RNA efficacy in cells containing the viral target sequence, corresponding gRNA, and CRISPR/Cas9. Front Genome Ed 2023; 5:1101483. [PMID: 37124096 PMCID: PMC10134072 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2023.1101483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 gene editing system has been shown to be effective at inhibiting human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Studies have not consistently used a trackable dual reporter system to determine what cells received the Cas9/gRNA to determine the overall knockdown of HIV. Some studies have used stably transduced cells under drug selection to accomplish this goal. Here a two-color system was used that allows tracking of viral protein expression and which cells received the CRISPR/Cas9 system. These experiments ensured that each gRNA used was a perfect match to the intended target to remove this variable. The data showed that gRNAs targeting the transactivation response element (TAR) region or other highly conserved regions of the HIV-1 genome were effective at stopping viral gene expression, with multiple assays demonstrating greater than 95 percent reduction. Conversely, gRNAs targeting conserved sites of the 5' portion of the U3 region were largely ineffective, demonstrating that the location of edits in the long terminal repeat (LTR) matter with respect to function. In addition, it was observed that a gRNA targeting Tat was effective in a T-cell model of HIV-1 latency. Taken together, these studies demonstrated gRNAs designed to highly conserved functional regions have near 100% efficacy in vitro in cells known to have received the Cas9/gRNA pair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander G. Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, 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 Gene Therapy, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Stephen D. Worrell
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Glad Nwaozo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rebekah Madrid
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Anthony R. Mele
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- Center for Molecular Virology and Gene Therapy, 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 Gene Therapy, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College 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 Gene Therapy, 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 Gene Therapy, 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
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Kreider EF, Bar KJ. HIV-1 Reservoir Persistence and Decay: Implications for Cure Strategies. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 2022; 19:194-206. [PMID: 35404007 PMCID: PMC10443186 DOI: 10.1007/s11904-022-00604-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Despite suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART), a viral reservoir persists in individuals living with HIV that can reignite systemic replication should treatment be interrupted. Understanding how HIV-1 persists through effective ART is essential to develop cure strategies to induce ART-free virus remission. RECENT FINDINGS The HIV-1 reservoir resides in a pool of CD4-expressing cells as a range of viral species, a subset of which is genetically intact. Recent studies suggest that the reservoir on ART is highly dynamic, with expansion and contraction of virus-infected cells over time. Overall, the intact proviral reservoir declines faster than defective viruses, suggesting enhanced immune clearance or cellular turnover. Upon treatment interruption, rebound viruses demonstrate escape from adaptive and innate immune responses, implicating these selective pressures in restriction of virus reactivation. Cure strategies employing immunotherapy are poised to test whether host immune pressure can be augmented to enhance reservoir suppression or clearance. Alternatively, genomic engineering approaches are being applied to directly eliminate intact viruses and shrink the replication-competent virus pool. New evidence suggests host immunity exerts selective pressure on reservoir viruses and clears HIV-1 infected cells over years on ART. Efforts to build on the detectable, but insufficient, reservoir clearance via empiric testing in clinical trials will inform our understanding of mechanisms of viral persistence and the direction of future cure strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward F Kreider
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Stemmler Hall Room 130-150, 3450 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104-6073, USA
| | - Katharine J Bar
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 502D Johnson Pavilion, 3610 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA, 19104‑0673, USA.
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Mohamed H, Gurrola T, Berman R, Collins M, Sariyer IK, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B. Targeting CCR5 as a Component of an HIV-1 Therapeutic Strategy. Front Immunol 2022; 12:816515. [PMID: 35126374 PMCID: PMC8811197 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.816515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Globally, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection is a major health burden for which successful therapeutic options are still being investigated. Challenges facing current drugs that are part of the established life-long antiretroviral therapy (ART) include toxicity, development of drug resistant HIV-1 strains, the cost of treatment, and the inability to eradicate the provirus from infected cells. For these reasons, novel anti-HIV-1 therapeutics that can prevent or eliminate disease progression including the onset of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are needed. While development of HIV-1 vaccination has also been challenging, recent advancements demonstrate that infection of HIV-1-susceptible cells can be prevented in individuals living with HIV-1, by targeting C-C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5). CCR5 serves many functions in the human immune response and is a co-receptor utilized by HIV-1 for entry into immune cells. Therapeutics targeting CCR5 generally involve gene editing techniques including CRISPR, CCR5 blockade using antibodies or antagonists, or combinations of both. Here we review the efficacy of these approaches and discuss the potential of their use in the clinic as novel ART-independent therapies for HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hager Mohamed
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Theodore Gurrola
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Rachel Berman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Mackenzie Collins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 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 Microbiology, Immunology, and Inflammation, Center for Neurovirology and Gene Editing, School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Michael R. Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, 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, Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Brian Wigdahl,
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Herskovitz J, Hasan M, Patel M, Kevadiya BD, Gendelman HE. Pathways Toward a Functional HIV-1 Cure: Balancing Promise and Perils of CRISPR Therapy. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2407:429-445. [PMID: 34985679 PMCID: PMC9262118 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1871-4_27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
First identified as a viral defense mechanism, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated proteins (Cas) has been transformed into a gene-editing tool. It now affords promise in the treatment and potential eradication of a range of divergent genetic, cancer, infectious, and degenerative diseases. Adapting CRISPR-Cas into a programmable endonuclease directed guide RNA (gRNA) has attracted international attention. It was recently awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The limitations of this technology have also been identified and work has been made in providing potential remedies. For treatment of the human immunodeficiency virus type one (HIV-1), in particular, a CRISPR-Cas9 approach was adapted to target then eliminate latent proviral DNA. To this end, we reviewed the promise and perils of CRISPR-Cas gene-editing strategies for HIV-1 elimination. Obstacles include precise delivery to reservoir tissue and cell sites of latent HIV-1 as well as assay sensitivity and specificity. The detection and consequent excision of common viral strain sequences and the avoidance of off-target activity will serve to facilitate a final goal of HIV-1 DNA elimination and accelerate testing in infected animals ultimately for use in man.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Herskovitz
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Mahmudul Hasan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Milankumar Patel
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Bhavesh D Kevadiya
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Howard E Gendelman
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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Herskovitz J, Hasan M, Patel M, Blomberg WR, Cohen JD, Machhi J, Shahjin F, Mosley RL, McMillan J, Kevadiya BD, Gendelman HE. CRISPR-Cas9 Mediated Exonic Disruption for HIV-1 Elimination. EBioMedicine 2021; 73:103678. [PMID: 34774454 PMCID: PMC8633974 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A barrier to HIV-1 cure rests in the persistence of proviral DNA in infected CD4+ leukocytes. The high HIV-1 mutation rate leads to viral diversity, immune evasion, and consequent antiretroviral drug resistance. While CRISPR-spCas9 can eliminate latent proviral DNA, its efficacy is limited by HIV strain diversity and precision target cell delivery. METHODS A library of guide RNAs (gRNAs) designed to disrupt five HIV-1 exons (tat1-2/rev1-2/gp41) was constructed. The gRNAs were derived from a conseensus sequence of the transcriptional regulator tat from 4004 HIV-1 strains. Efficacy was affirmed by gRNA cell entry through transfection, electroporation, or by lentivirus or lipid nanoparticle (LNP) delivery. Treated cells were evaluated for viral excision by monitoring HIV-1 DNA, RNA, protein, and progeny virus levels. FINDINGS Virus was reduced in all transmitted founder strains by 82 and 94% after CRISPR TatDE transfection or lentivirus treatments, respectively. No recorded off-target cleavages were detected. Electroporation of TatDE ribonucleoprotein and delivery of LNP TatDE gRNA and spCas9 mRNA to latently infected cells resulted in up to 100% viral excision. Protection against HIV-1-challenge or induction of virus during latent infection, in primary or transformed CD4+ T cells or monocytes was achieved. We propose that multi-exon gRNA TatDE disruption delivered by LNPs enables translation for animal and human testing. INTERPRETATION These results provide "proof of concept' for CRISPR gRNA treatments for HIV-1 elimination. The absence of full-length viral DNA by LNP delivery paired with undetectable off-target affirms the importance of payload delivery for effective viral gene editing. FUNDING The work was supported by the University of Nebraska Foundation, including donations from the Carol Swarts, M.D. Emerging Neuroscience Research Laboratory, the Margaret R. Larson Professorship, and individual donor support from the Frances and Louie Blumkin Foundation and from Harriet Singer. The research received support from National Institutes of Health grants T32 NS105594, 5R01MH121402, 1R01Al158160, R01 DA054535, PO1 DA028555, R01 NS126089, R01 NS36126, PO1 MH64570, P30 MH062261, and 2R01 NS034239.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Herskovitz
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5900 USA.
| | - Mahmudul Hasan
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800 USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6120 USA
| | - Milankumar Patel
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800 USA
| | - Wilson R Blomberg
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800 USA; School of Medicine, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68124
| | - Jacob D Cohen
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800 USA
| | - Jatin Machhi
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800 USA
| | - Farah Shahjin
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800 USA
| | - R Lee Mosley
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800 USA
| | - JoEllyn McMillan
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800 USA
| | - Bhavesh D Kevadiya
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800 USA
| | - Howard E Gendelman
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5900 USA; Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5800 USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-6120 USA.
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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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9
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Atkins AJ, Allen AG, Dampier W, Haddad EK, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B. HIV-1 cure strategies: why CRISPR? Expert Opin Biol Ther 2021; 21:781-793. [PMID: 33331178 PMCID: PMC9777058 DOI: 10.1080/14712598.2021.1865302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has transformed prognoses for HIV-1-infected individuals but requires lifelong adherence to prevent viral resurgence. Targeted elimination or permanent deactivation of the latently infected reservoir harboring integrated proviral DNA, which drives viral rebound, is a major focus of HIV-1 research. AREAS COVERED This review covers the current approaches to developing curative strategies for HIV-1 that target the latent reservoir. Discussed herein are shock and kill, broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), block and lock, Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells, immune checkpoint modulation, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) coreceptor ablation, and CRISPR/Cas9 proviral excision. Emphasis is placed on CRISPR/Cas9 proviral excision/inactivation. Recent advances and future directions toward discovery and translation of HIV-1 therapeutics are discussed. EXPERT OPINION CRISPR/Cas9 proviral targeting fills a niche amongst HIV-1 cure strategies by directly targeting the integrated provirus without the necessity of an innate or adaptive immune response. Each strategy discussed in this review has shown promising results with the potential to yield curative or adjuvant therapies. CRISPR/Cas9 is singular among these in that it addresses the root of the problem, integrated proviral DNA, with the capacity to permanently remove or deactivate the source of HIV-1 recrudescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Atkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Alexander G. Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Will Dampier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Elias K. Haddad
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA,Division of Infectious Diseases and HIV Medicine, Department of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA,Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Michael R. Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA,Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA,Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA,Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA,Correspondence should be addressed to B.W. (), 245 N 15th St, Rm 18301, MS1013A, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, Tel: 215-991-8352, Fax: 215-849-4808
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10
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Chung CH, Allen AG, Atkins A, Link RW, Nonnemacher MR, Dampier W, Wigdahl B. Computational Design of gRNAs Targeting Genetic Variants Across HIV-1 Subtypes for CRISPR-Mediated Antiviral Therapy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:593077. [PMID: 33768011 PMCID: PMC7985454 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.593077] [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: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-based HIV-1 genome editing has shown promising outcomes in in vitro and in vivo viral infection models. However, existing HIV-1 sequence variants have been shown to reduce CRISPR-mediated efficiency and induce viral escape. Two metrics, global patient coverage and global subtype coverage, were used to identify guide RNA (gRNA) sequences that account for this viral diversity from the perspectives of cross-patient and cross-subtype gRNA design, respectively. Computational evaluation using these parameters and over 3.6 million possible 20-bp sequences resulted in nine lead gRNAs, two of which were previously published. This analysis revealed the benefit and necessity of considering all sequence variants for gRNA design. Of the other seven identified novel gRNAs, two were of note as they targeted interesting functional regions. One was a gRNA predicted to induce structural disruption in the nucleocapsid binding site (Ψ), which holds the potential to stop HIV-1 replication during the viral genome packaging process. The other was a reverse transcriptase (RT)-targeting gRNA that was predicted to cleave the subdomain responsible for dNTP incorporation. CRISPR-mediated sequence edits were predicted to occur on critical residues where HIV-1 has been shown to develop resistance against antiretroviral therapy (ART), which may provide additional evolutionary pressure at the DNA level. Given these observations, consideration of broad-spectrum gRNAs and cross-subtype diversity for gRNA design is not only required for the development of generalizable CRISPR-based HIV-1 therapy, but also helps identify optimal target sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - 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
| | - Robert W. Link
- 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
| | - 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
| | - 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
| | - 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
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11
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Lin D, Scheller SH, Robinson MM, Izadpanah R, Alt EU, Braun SE. Increased Efficiency for Biallelic Mutations of the CCR5 Gene by CRISPR-Cas9 Using Multiple Guide RNAs As a Novel Therapeutic Option for Human Immunodeficiency Virus. CRISPR J 2021; 4:92-103. [PMID: 33616448 PMCID: PMC8713505 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2020.0019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
CCR5 is a coreceptor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). Transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells homozygous for a 32-bp deletion in CCR5 resulted in a loss of detectable HIV-1 in two patients, suggesting that genetic strategies to knockout CCR5 expression would be a promising gene therapy approach for HIV-1-infected patients. In this study, we targeted CCR5 by CRISPR-Cas9 with a single-guide (sgRNA) and observed 35% indel frequency. When we expressed hCas9 and two gRNAs, the Surveyor assay showed that Cas9-mediated cleavage was increased by 10% with two sgRNAs. Genotype analysis on individual clones showed 11 of 13 carried biallelic mutations, where 4 clones had frameshift (FS) mutations. Taken together, these results indicate that the efficiency of biallelic FS mutations and the knockout of the CCR5 necessary to prevent viral replication were significantly increased with two sgRNAs. These studies demonstrate the knockout of CCR5 and the potential for translational development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Lin
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory,
Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane National Primate Research Center,
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Surgery, Tulane University
Health Science Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Stefan H. Scheller
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory,
Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane National Primate Research Center,
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Madeline M. Robinson
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory,
Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane National Primate Research Center,
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Reza Izadpanah
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory,
Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane National Primate Research Center,
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Surgery, Tulane University
Health Science Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Eckhard U. Alt
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory,
Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane National Primate Research Center,
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Isar Klinikum Munich, Munich,
Germany
| | - Stephen E. Braun
- Applied Stem Cell Laboratory,
Medicine/Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane National Primate Research Center,
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane
University Health Science Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- Division of Immunology, Tulane National
Primate Research Center, Covington, Louisiana, USA
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12
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Sessions KJ, Chen YY, Hodge CA, Hudson TR, Eszterhas SK, Hayden MS, Howell AL. Analysis of CRISPR/Cas9 Guide RNA Efficiency and Specificity Against Genetically Diverse HIV-1 Isolates. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses 2020; 36:862-874. [PMID: 32640832 PMCID: PMC7549012 DOI: 10.1089/aid.2020.0055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene editing approaches using CRISPR/Cas9 are being developed as a means for targeting the integrated HIV-1 provirus. Enthusiasm for the use of gene editing as an anti-HIV-1 therapeutic has been tempered by concerns about the specificity and efficacy of this approach. Guide RNAs (gRNAs) that target conserved sequences across a wide range of genetically diverse HIV-1 isolates will have greater clinical utility. However, on-target efficacy should be considered in the context of off-target cleavage events as these may comprise an essential safety parameter for CRISPR-based therapeutics. We analyzed a panel of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9) gRNAs directed to the 5' and 3' long terminal repeat (LTR) regions of HIV-1. We used in vitro cleavage assays with genetically diverse HIV-1 LTR sequences to determine gRNA activity across HIV-1 clades. Lipid-based transfection of gRNA/Cas9 ribonucleoproteins was used to assess targeting of the integrated HIV-1 proviral sequence in cells (in vivo). For both the in vitro and in vivo experiments, we observed increased efficiency of sequence disruption through the simultaneous use of two distinct gRNAs. Next, CIRCLE-Seq was utilized to identify off-target cleavage events using genomic DNA from cells with integrated HIV-1 proviral DNA. We identified a gRNA targeting the U3 region of the LTR (termed SpCas9-127HBX2) with broad cleavage efficiency against sequences from genetically diverse HIV-1 strains. Based on these results, we propose a workflow for identification and development of anti-HIV CRISPR therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yun Yue Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Christine A. Hodge
- Department of Dermatology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | | | - Susan K. Eszterhas
- VA Medical Center, White River Junction, Vermont, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Matthew S. Hayden
- Department of Dermatology, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Dermatology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Alexandra L. Howell
- VA Medical Center, White River Junction, Vermont, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
- Department of Medicine, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, New Hampshire, USA
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13
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Mohamed H, Esposito RA, Kutzler MA, Wigdahl B, Krebs FC, Miller V. Nonthermal plasma as part of a novel strategy for vaccination. PLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS (PRINT) 2020; 17:2000051. [PMID: 32837491 PMCID: PMC7404442 DOI: 10.1002/ppap.202000051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Vaccination has been one of the most effective health intervention mechanisms to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with infectious diseases. Vaccines stimulate the body's protective immune responses through controlled exposure to modified versions of pathogens that establish immunological memory. However, only a few diseases have effective vaccines. The biological effects of nonthermal plasma on cells suggest that plasma could play an important role in improving efficacy of existing vaccines and overcoming some of the limitations and challenges with current vaccination strategies. This review summarizes the opportunities for nonthermal plasma for immunization and therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hager Mohamed
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Rita A. Esposito
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Michele A. Kutzler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Fred C. Krebs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Vandana Miller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
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14
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Chung CH, Allen AG, Atkins AJ, Sullivan NT, Homan G, Costello R, Madrid R, Nonnemacher MR, Dampier W, Wigdahl B. Safe CRISPR-Cas9 Inhibition of HIV-1 with High Specificity and Broad-Spectrum Activity by Targeting LTR NF-κB Binding Sites. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2020; 21:965-982. [PMID: 32818921 PMCID: PMC7452136 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2020.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Viral latency of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) has become a major hurdle to a cure in the highly effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) era. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 system has successfully been demonstrated to excise or inactivate integrated HIV-1 provirus from infected cells by targeting the long terminal repeat (LTR) region. However, the guide RNAs (gRNAs) have classically avoided transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) that are readily observed and known to be important in human promoters. Although conventionally thought unfavorable due to potential impact on human promoters, our computational pipeline identified gRNA sequences that were predicted to inactivate HIV-1 transcription by targeting the nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) binding sites (gNFKB0, gNFKB1) with a high safety profile (lack of predicted or observed human edits) and broad-spectrum activity (predicted coverage of known viral sequences). Genome-wide, unbiased identification of double strand breaks (DSBs) enabled by sequencing (GUIDE-seq) showed that the gRNAs targeting NF-κB binding sites had no detectable CRISPR-induced off-target edits in HeLa cells. 5′ LTR-driven HIV-1 transcription was significantly reduced in three HIV-1 reporter cell lines. These results demonstrate a working model to specifically target well-known TFBSs in the HIV-1 LTR that are readily observed in human promoters to reduce HIV-1 transcription with a high-level safety profile and broad-spectrum activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Han Chung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Alexander G Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Andrew J Atkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Neil T Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Greg Homan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Robert Costello
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Rebekah Madrid
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Michael R Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Will Dampier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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15
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Abstract
The full length of HIV/R7/E−/GFP integrated in the J-Lat 10.6 cell line was sequenced in this study. The single copy of the integrated virus, including the breakpoints from the human chromosome to the provirus, was amplified by two separate PCRs. A 10,200-bp genome sequence was acquired, analyzed, and deposited in GenBank. The full length of HIV/R7/E−/GFP integrated in the J-Lat 10.6 cell line was sequenced in this study. The single copy of the integrated virus, including the breakpoints from the human chromosome to the provirus, was amplified by two separate PCRs. A 10,200-bp genome sequence was acquired, analyzed, and deposited in GenBank.
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16
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Chung CH, Allen AG, Sullivan NT, Atkins A, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B, Dampier W. Computational Analysis Concerning the Impact of DNA Accessibility on CRISPR-Cas9 Cleavage Efficiency. Mol Ther 2020; 28:19-28. [PMID: 31672284 PMCID: PMC6953893 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2019] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Defining the variables that impact the specificity of CRISPR/Cas9 has been a major research focus. Whereas sequence complementarity between guide RNA and target DNA substantially dictates cleavage efficiency, DNA accessibility of the targeted loci has also been hypothesized to be an important factor. In this study, functional data from two genome-wide assays, genome-wide, unbiased identification of DSBs enabled by sequencing (GUIDE-seq) and circularization for in vitro reporting of cleavage effects by sequencing (CIRCLE-seq), have been computationally analyzed in conjunction with DNA accessibility determined via DNase I-hypersensitive sequencing from the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Database and transcriptome from the Sequence Read Archive to determine whether cellular factors influence CRISPR-induced cleavage efficiency. CIRCLE-seq and GUIDE-seq datasets were selected to represent the absence and presence of cellular factors, respectively. Data analysis revealed that correlations between sequence similarity and CRISPR-induced cleavage frequency were altered by the presence of cellular factors that modulated the level of DNA accessibility. The above-mentioned correlation was abolished when cleavage sites were located in less accessible regions. Furthermore, CRISPR-mediated edits were permissive even at regions that were insufficient for most endogenous genes to be expressed. These results provide a strong basis to dissect the contribution of local chromatin modulation markers on CRISPR-induced cleavage efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Han Chung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Alexander G Allen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Neil T Sullivan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Andrew Atkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA
| | - Michael R Nonnemacher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
| | - Will Dampier
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19129, USA; School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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17
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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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18
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Elimination of infectious HIV DNA by CRISPR-Cas9. Curr Opin Virol 2019; 38:81-88. [PMID: 31450074 PMCID: PMC7050564 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2019.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Current antiretroviral drugs can efficiently block HIV replication and prevent transmission, but do not target the HIV provirus residing in cells that constitute the viral reservoir. Because drug therapy interruption will cause viral rebound from this reservoir, HIV-infected individuals face lifelong treatment. Therefore, novel therapeutic strategies are being investigated that aim to permanently inactivate the proviral DNA, which may lead to a cure. Multiple studies showed that CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing can be used to attack HIV DNA. Here, we will focus on not only how this endonuclease attack can trigger HIV provirus inactivation, but also how virus escape occurs and this can be prevented.
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19
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Jacobson JM, Khalili K. Toward the Cure of HIV-1 Infection: Lessons Learned and Yet to be Learned as New Strategies are Developed. AIDS Rev 2019; 20:220-225. [PMID: 30548022 DOI: 10.24875/aidsrev.18000027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Here, we review the progress that has been made in achieving a cure of HIV-1 infection. To date, this has only occurred in one person after he received allogeneic stem cell transplants from a CCR5 ∆32 homozygous donor in addition to chemotherapy and radiation to treat his acute myelocytic leukemia. The general consensus is that achieving a sustained remission of infection in the absence of antiretroviral therapy will involve a combination of strategies that involve both the targeting of the latent proviral genome and the induction of more effective anti-HIV-1 immune responses. Efforts to reverse HIV-1 proviral DNA integration in the host cell genome and those to enhance anti-HIV immunity have been disappointing thus far. The lack of clinically validated assays to measure both effects has hampered the development of effective therapies. We suggest the consideration of genome editing as a new approach to reduce the latently integrated proviral genome. In addition, new approaches to therapeutic immunization, alterations of immunoregulatory pathways, anti-HIV-1 antibodies, and anti-HIV-1 chimeric antigen receptor T lymphocytes are in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Jacobson
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational AIDS Research, Philadelphia, USA
- Department of Medicine. Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Kamel Khalili
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Translational AIDS Research, Philadelphia, USA
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20
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Darcis G, Binda CS, Klaver B, Herrera-Carrillo E, Berkhout B, Das AT. The Impact of HIV-1 Genetic Diversity on CRISPR-Cas9 Antiviral Activity and Viral Escape. Viruses 2019; 11:E255. [PMID: 30871200 PMCID: PMC6466431 DOI: 10.3390/v11030255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas9 system is widely explored for sequence-specific attack on HIV-1 proviral DNA. We recently identified dual-guide RNA (dual-gRNA) combinations that can block HIV-1 replication permanently in infected cell cultures and prevent viral escape. Although the gRNAs were designed to target highly conserved viral sequences, their efficacy may be challenged by high genetic variation in the HIV-1 genome. We therefore evaluated the breadth of these dual-gRNA combinations against distinct HIV-1 isolates, including several subtypes. Replication of nearly all virus isolates could be prevented by at least one gRNA combination, which caused inactivation of the proviral genomes and the gradual loss of replication-competent virus over time. The dual-gRNA efficacy was not affected by most single nucleotide (nt) mismatches between gRNA and the viral target. However, 1-nt mismatches at the Cas9 cleavage site and two mismatches anywhere in the viral target sequence significantly reduced the inhibitory effect. Accordingly, sequence analysis of viruses upon breakthrough replication revealed the acquisition of escape mutations in perfectly matching and most 1-nt mismatching targets, but not in targets with a mismatch at the Cas9 cleavage site or with two mismatches. These results demonstrate that combinatorial CRISPR-Cas9 treatment can cure T cells infected by distinct HIV-1 isolates, but even minor sequence variation in conserved viral target sites can affect the efficacy of this strategy. Successful cure attempts against isolates with divergent target sequences may therefore require adaptation of the gRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Darcis
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
- Infectious Diseases Department, Liège University Hospital, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
| | - Caroline S Binda
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Bep Klaver
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Elena Herrera-Carrillo
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Ben Berkhout
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Atze T Das
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, 1105AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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21
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Allen AG, Chung CH, Atkins A, Dampier W, Khalili K, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B. Gene Editing of HIV-1 Co-receptors to Prevent and/or Cure Virus Infection. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2940. [PMID: 30619107 PMCID: PMC6304358 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Antiretroviral therapy has prolonged the lives of people living with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), transforming the disease into one that can be controlled with lifelong therapy. The search for an HIV-1 vaccine has plagued researchers for more than three decades with little to no success from clinical trials. Due to these failures, scientists have turned to alternative methods to develop next generation therapeutics that could allow patients to live with HIV-1 without the need for daily medication. One method that has been proposed has involved the use of a number of powerful gene editing tools; Zinc Finger Nucleases (ZFN), Transcription Activator–like effector nucleases (TALENs), and Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 to edit the co-receptors (CCR5 or CXCR4) required for HIV-1 to infect susceptible target cells efficiently. Initial safety studies in patients have shown that editing the CCR5 locus is safe. More in depth in vitro studies have shown that editing the CCR5 locus was able to inhibit infection from CCR5-utilizing virus, but CXCR4-utilizing virus was still able to infect cells. Additional research efforts were then aimed at editing the CXCR4 locus, but this came with other safety concerns. However, in vitro studies have since confirmed that CXCR4 can be edited without killing cells and can confer resistance to CXCR4-utilizing HIV-1. Utilizing these powerful new gene editing technologies in concert could confer cellular resistance to HIV-1. While the CD4, CCR5, CXCR4 axis for cell-free infection has been the most studied, there are a plethora of reports suggesting that the cell-to-cell transmission of HIV-1 is significantly more efficient. These reports also indicated that while broadly neutralizing antibodies are well suited with respect to blocking cell-free infection, cell-to-cell transmission remains refractile to this approach. In addition to stopping cell-free infection, gene editing of the HIV-1 co-receptors could block cell-to-cell transmission. This review aims to summarize what has been shown with regard to editing the co-receptors needed for HIV-1 entry and how they could impact the future of HIV-1 therapeutic and prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - 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
| | - 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
| | - 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 and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kamel Khalili
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Neurovirology, and Comprehensive NeuroAIDS Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.,Center for Translational AIDS Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple 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
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22
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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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23
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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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24
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Wang Z, Wang W, Cui YC, Pan Q, Zhu W, Gendron P, Guo F, Cen S, Witcher M, Liang C. HIV-1 Employs Multiple Mechanisms To Resist Cas9/Single Guide RNA Targeting the Viral Primer Binding Site. J Virol 2018; 92:e01135-18. [PMID: 30068653 PMCID: PMC6158435 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01135-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene-editing technology has been used to inactivate viral DNA as a new strategy to eliminate chronic viral infections, including HIV-1. This utility of CRISPR-Cas9 is challenged by the high heterogeneity of HIV-1 sequences, which requires the design of the single guide RNA (sgRNA; utilized by the CRISPR-Cas9 system to recognize the target DNA) to match a specific HIV-1 strain in an HIV patient. One solution to this challenge is to target the viral primer binding site (PBS), which HIV-1 copies from cellular tRNA3 Lys in each round of reverse transcription and is thus conserved in almost all HIV-1 strains. In this study, we demonstrate that PBS-targeting sgRNA directs Cas9 to cleave the PBS DNA, which evokes deletions or insertions (indels) and strongly diminishes the production of infectious HIV-1. While HIV-1 escapes from PBS-targeting Cas9/sgRNA, unique resistance mechanisms are observed that are dependent on whether the plus or the minus strand of the PBS DNA is bound by sgRNA. Characterization of these viral escape mechanisms will inform future engineering of Cas9 variants that can more potently and persistently inhibit HIV-1 infection.IMPORTANCE The results of this study demonstrate that the gene-editing complex Cas9/sgRNA can be programmed to target and cleave HIV-1 PBS DNA, and thus, inhibit HIV-1 infection. Given that almost all HIV-1 strains have the same PBS, which is copied from the cellular tRNA3 Lys during reverse transcription, PBS-targeting sgRNA can be used to inactivate HIV-1 DNA of different strains. We also discovered that HIV-1 uses different mechanisms to resist Cas9/sgRNAs, depending on whether they target the plus or the minus strand of PBS DNA. These findings allow us to predict that a Cas9 variant that uses the CCA sequence as the protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) should more strongly and persistently suppress HIV-1 replication. Together, these data have identified the PBS as the target DNA of Cas9/sgRNA and have predicted how to improve Cas9/sgRNA to achieve more efficient and sustainable suppression of HIV-1 infection, therefore improving the capacity of Cas9/sgRNA in curing HIV-1 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Wenzhou Wang
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ya Cheng Cui
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Qinghua Pan
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Weijun Zhu
- Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, China
| | - Patrick Gendron
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Fei Guo
- Institute of Pathogen Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Cen
- Institute of Medicinal Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, China
| | - Michael Witcher
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Chen Liang
- Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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25
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Peterson TA, MacLean AG. Current and Future Therapeutic Strategies for Lentiviral Eradication from Macrophage Reservoirs. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2018; 14:68-93. [PMID: 30317409 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-018-9814-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Macrophages, one of the most abundant populations of leukocytes in the body, function as the first line of defense against pathogen invaders. Human Immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) remains to date one of the most extensively studied viral infections. Naturally occurring lentiviruses in domestic and primate species serve as valuable models to investigate lentiviral pathogenesis and novel therapeutics. Better understanding of the role macrophages play in HIV pathogenesis will aid in the advancement towards a cure. Even with current efficacy of first- and second-line Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) guidelines and future efficacy of Long Acting Slow Effective Release-ART (LASER-ART); ART alone does not lead to a cure. The major challenge of HIV eradication is viral latency. Latency Reversal Agents (LRAs) show promise as a possible means to eradicate HIV-1 from the body. It has become evident that complete eradication will need to include combinations of various effective therapeutic strategies such as LASER-ART, LRAs, and gene editing. Review of the current literature indicates the most promising HIV eradication strategy appears to be LASER-ART in conjunction with viral and receptor gene modifications via the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Graphical abstract A multimodal approach to HIV treatment including gene editing, LASER-ART, and latency reversal agents may provide a means to achieve HIV eradication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany A Peterson
- Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA, USA
| | - Andrew G MacLean
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Division of Comparative Pathology, Tulane National Primate Research Center, Tulane Center for Aging, Tulane Brain Institute, 18703 Three Rivers Road, Covington, LA, 70433, USA.
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26
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Link RW, Nonnemacher MR, Wigdahl B, Dampier W. Prediction of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Subtype-Specific Off-Target Effects Arising from CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Therapy. CRISPR J 2018; 1:294-302. [PMID: 31021222 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2018.0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) disease is characterized by the retention of provirus within latently infected cells. Anti-HIV-1 CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing is an attractive strategy to excise or inactivate the HIV-1 genome. Recent strategies have focused on designing gRNAs that target the long terminal repeat (LTR) because 5' and 3' LTR symmetry can facilitate proviral excision. However, the promiscuity of CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system necessitates the investigation of potential off-target effects. Here, potential gRNAs designed from HIV-1 phylogenetic subtypes using the CRISPRseek tool were investigated. Across the LTR, it was found that certain regions show higher human homology than others. When using recommended cutoffs, 96.40% of gRNAs were predicted to have no high probability off-target effects. Given this observation, while high-probability off-target effects are a potential danger, they can be avoided with proper gRNA design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert W Link
- 1 School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael R Nonnemacher
- 2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,3 Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,4 Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,5 Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- 2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,3 Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,4 Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,5 Center for Genomic Sciences, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Will Dampier
- 1 School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,2 Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.,3 Center for Molecular Virology and Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious Disease, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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