1
|
Wang B, Xu Y, Wan AH, Wan G, Wang QP. Integrating genome-wide CRISPR screens and in silico drug profiling for targeted antidote development. Nat Protoc 2024:10.1038/s41596-024-00995-z. [PMID: 38816517 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-024-00995-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Numerous toxins threaten humans, but specific antidotes are unavailable for most of them. Although CRISPR screening has aided the discovery of the mechanisms of some toxins, developing targeted antidotes remains a significant challenge. Recently, we established a systematic framework to develop antidotes by combining the identification of novel drug targets by using a genome-wide CRISPR screen with a virtual screen of drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of toxin mechanisms at the whole-genome level and facilitates the identification of promising antidote drugs targeting specific molecules. Here, we present step-by-step instructions for executing genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screens of toxins in HAP1 cells. We also provide detailed guidance for conducting an in silico drug screen and an in vivo drug validation. By using this protocol, it takes ~4 weeks to perform the genome-scale screen, 4 weeks for sequencing and data analysis, 4 weeks to validate candidate genes, 1 week for the virtual screen and 2 weeks for in vitro drug validation. This framework has the potential to accelerate the development of antidotes for a wide range of toxins and can rapidly identify promising drug candidates that are already known to be safe and effective. This could lead to the development of new antidotes much more quickly than traditional methods, protecting lives from diverse toxins and advancing human health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bei Wang
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Aging, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, P. R. China
| | - Yu Xu
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Aging, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, P. R. China
| | - Arabella H Wan
- Department of Pathology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China
| | - Guohui Wan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Design and Evaluation, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, P. R. China.
| | - Qiao-Ping Wang
- Laboratory of Metabolism and Aging, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, P. R. China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Diabetology, Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Mechanistic and Translational Obesity Research, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pognan F, Beilmann M, Boonen HCM, Czich A, Dear G, Hewitt P, Mow T, Oinonen T, Roth A, Steger-Hartmann T, Valentin JP, Van Goethem F, Weaver RJ, Newham P. The evolving role of investigative toxicology in the pharmaceutical industry. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:317-335. [PMID: 36781957 PMCID: PMC9924869 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-022-00633-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
For decades, preclinical toxicology was essentially a descriptive discipline in which treatment-related effects were carefully reported and used as a basis to calculate safety margins for drug candidates. In recent years, however, technological advances have increasingly enabled researchers to gain insights into toxicity mechanisms, supporting greater understanding of species relevance and translatability to humans, prediction of safety events, mitigation of side effects and development of safety biomarkers. Consequently, investigative (or mechanistic) toxicology has been gaining momentum and is now a key capability in the pharmaceutical industry. Here, we provide an overview of the current status of the field using case studies and discuss the potential impact of ongoing technological developments, based on a survey of investigative toxicologists from 14 European-based medium-sized to large pharmaceutical companies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francois Pognan
- Discovery and Investigative Safety, Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Mario Beilmann
- Nonclinical Drug Safety Germany, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, Biberach an der Riss, Germany
| | - Harrie C M Boonen
- Drug Safety, Dept of Exploratory Toxicology, Lundbeck A/S, Valby, Denmark
| | | | - Gordon Dear
- In Vitro In Vivo Translation, GlaxoSmithKline David Jack Centre for Research, Ware, UK
| | - Philip Hewitt
- Chemical and Preclinical Safety, Merck Healthcare KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Tomas Mow
- Safety Pharmacology and Early Toxicology, Novo Nordisk A/S, Maaloev, Denmark
| | - Teija Oinonen
- Preclinical Safety, Orion Corporation, Espoo, Finland
| | - Adrian Roth
- Pharmaceutical Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Freddy Van Goethem
- Predictive, Investigative & Translational Toxicology, Nonclinical Safety, Janssen Research & Development, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Richard J Weaver
- Innovation Life Cycle Management, Institut de Recherches Internationales Servier, Suresnes, France
| | - Peter Newham
- Clinical Pharmacology and Safety Sciences, AstraZeneca R&D, Cambridge, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
The application of genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens to dissect the molecular mechanisms of toxins. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2022; 20:5076-5084. [PMID: 36187925 PMCID: PMC9489804 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2022.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Many toxins are life-threatening to both animals and humans. However, specific antidotes are not available for most of those toxins. The molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicology of well-known toxins are not yet fully characterized. Recently, the advance in CRISPR-Cas9 technologies has greatly accelerated the process of revealing the toxic mechanisms of some common toxins on hosts from a genome-wide perspective. The high-throughput CRISPR screen has made it feasible to untangle complicated interactions between a particular toxin and its corresponding targeting tissue(s). In this review, we present an overview of recent advances in molecular dissection of toxins’ cytotoxicity by using genome-wide CRISPR screens, summarize the components essential for toxin-specific CRISPR screens, and propose new strategies for future research.
Collapse
|
4
|
Shortt K, Heruth DP. Identification of Genes Regulating Hepatocyte Injury by a Genome-Wide CRISPR-Cas9 Screen. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2544:227-251. [PMID: 36125723 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2557-6_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Gene editing introduces stable mutations into the genome and has powerful applications extending from research to clinical gene therapy. CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing can be employed to study directly the functional impact of stable gene knockout, activation, and knockdown. Here, we describe the end-to-end methodology by which we employ genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 knockout to study drug toxicity using acetaminophen (APAP) in a hepatocellular carcinoma liver model as an example. This methodology can be extended to other proliferative cell types and chemical metabolic and toxicity models. By employing a massively parallelized genome-wide knockout model, the genes responsible for cellular toxicity and proliferation may be assayed concurrently. Resultant data are interrogated in the context of existing gene expression data, pathway analysis, drug-gene interactions, and orthogonal confirmatory assays to better understand the metabolic mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniel P Heruth
- Children's Mercy Research Institute, Kansas City, MO, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Abstract
The use of genome editing tools is expanding our understanding of various human diseases by providing insight into gene-disease interactions. Despite the recognized role of toxicants in the development of human health issues and conditions, there is currently limited characterization of their mechanisms of action, and the application of CRISPR-based genome editing to the study of toxicants could help in the identification of novel gene-environment interactions. CRISPR-based functional screens enable identification of cellular mechanisms fundamental for response and susceptibility to a given toxicant. The aim of this review is to inform future directions in the application of CRISPR technologies in toxicological studies. We review and compare different types of CRISPR-based methods including pooled, anchored, combinatorial, and perturb-sequencing screens in vitro, in addition to pooled screenings in model organisms. © 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amin Sobh
- Department of Medicine, University of Florida Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Max Russo
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Christopher D Vulpe
- Department of Physiological Sciences, Center for Environmental and Human Toxicology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Lujan H, Romer E, Salisbury R, Hussain S, Sayes C. Determining the Biological Mechanisms of Action for Environmental Exposures: Applying CRISPR/Cas9 to Toxicological Assessments. Toxicol Sci 2021; 175:5-18. [PMID: 32105327 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfaa028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxicology is a constantly evolving field, especially in the area of developing alternatives to animal testing. Toxicological research must evolve and utilize adaptive technologies in an effort to improve public, environmental, and occupational health. The most commonly cited mechanisms of toxic action after exposure to a chemical or particle test substance is oxidative stress. However, because oxidative stress involves a plethora of genes and proteins, the exact mechanism(s) are not commonly defined. Exact mechanisms of toxicity can be revealed using an emerging laboratory technique referred to as CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats). This article reviews the most common CRISPR techniques utilized today and how each may be applied in Toxicological Sciences. Specifically, the CRISPR/CRISPR-associated protein complex is used for single gene knock-outs, whereas CRISPR interference/activation is used for silencing or activating (respectively) ribonucleic acid. Finally, CRISPR libraries are used for knocking-out entire gene pathways. This review highlights the application of CRISPR in toxicology to elucidate the exact mechanism through which toxicants perturb normal cellular functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Henry Lujan
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas 76706
| | - Eric Romer
- Molecular Bioeffects Branch, Bioeffects Division, 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Dayton, Ohio 45433
| | - Richard Salisbury
- Molecular Bioeffects Branch, Bioeffects Division, 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Dayton, Ohio 45433
| | - Saber Hussain
- Molecular Bioeffects Branch, Bioeffects Division, 711th Human Performance Wing, Air Force Research Laboratory, Dayton, Ohio 45433
| | - Christie Sayes
- Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas 76706
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Xie Y, Yang Y, He Y, Wang X, Zhang P, Li H, Liang S. Synthetic Biology Speeds Up Drug Target Discovery. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:119. [PMID: 32174833 PMCID: PMC7054250 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
As a rising emerging field, synthetic biology intends to realize precise regulations of cellular network by constructing artificial synthetic circuits, and it brings great opportunities to treat diseases and discover novel drug targets. Depending on the combination mode of different logic gates, various synthetic circuits are created to carry out multilevel regulations. In given synthetic circuits, drugs often act as inputs to drive circuits operation. It is becoming available to construct drug-responsive gene circuits for experimentally treating various disease models, including metabolic disease, immunity disease, cancer and bacterial infection. Synthetic biology works well in association with the CRISPR system for drug target functional screening. Remarkably, more and more well-designed circuits are developed to discover novel drug targets and precisely regulate drug therapy for diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Yanfang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Yu He
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Xixi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Urinary Surgery, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Haocheng Li
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Shufang Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy and Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu, China
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
[Establishment of a congenital chloride diarrhea-associated SLC26A3 c.392C>G (p.P131R) polymorphism-expressing cell model and a preliminary analysis of its mechanism of action]. ZHONGGUO DANG DAI ER KE ZA ZHI = CHINESE JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY PEDIATRICS 2019; 21. [PMID: 31753097 PMCID: PMC7389292 DOI: 10.7499/j.issn.1008-8830.2019.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To establish a congenital chloride diarrhea (CCD)-associated SLC26A3 c.392C>G (p.P131R) polymorphism-expressing cell model, and to investigate its biological function. METHODS The sequence of the SLC26A3 gene in GenBank was used to design the upstream and downstream single-guide RNA (sgRNA) that could specifically recognize the 392 locus of the SLC26A3 gene, and the sgRNA was mixed with the pSpCas9-puro vector after enzyme digestion to construct an eukaryotic recombinant expression plasmid (pSpCas9-SLC26A3). Caco-2 cells were transfected with the recombinant plasmid and synthesized single-stranded DNA oligonucleotides (ssODNs), and Taqman genotyping assay and Sanger sequencing were used to identify the expression of SLC26A3 c.392C>G (p.P131R) in Caco-2 cells. Wild-type Caco-2 cells were selected as normal control group and the Caco-2 cells with successful expression of SLC26A3 c.392C>G (p.P131R) was selected as P131R group. Both groups were treated with 100 ng/mL tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and then the normal control group was named as TNF-α group, and the P131R group was named as TNF-α+P131R group. Electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) assay was used to evaluate the change in the monolayer barrier function of intestinal epithelial cells in the above four groups, and Western blot was used to measure the change in the expression of SLC26A3 protein in the normal control group and the P131R group. RESULTS The eukaryotic recombinant expression plasmid (pSpCas9-SLC26A3) was successfully constructed. Both Taqman genotyping assay and Sanger sequencing confirmed the successful establishment of the Caco-2 cell model of SLC26A3 c.392C>G (p.P131R) expression. ECIS assay showed that compared with the normal control group, the P131R group had a significant increase in the monolayer permeability of intestinal epithelial cells (P<0.05), and at the same time, the P131R group had a significantly greater increase in cell membrane permeability after the induction with 100 ng/mL TNF-α (P<0.05). Western blot showed that compared with the normal control group, the P131R group had a significant reduction in the expression of SLC26A3 protein (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS SLC26A3 c.392C>G (p.P131R) can reduce the expression of SLC26A3 protein, increase the monolayer permeability of intestinal epithelial cells, and thus lead to diarrhea.
Collapse
|