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Vargas-López V, Prada LF, Alméciga-Díaz CJ. Evidence of epigenetic landscape shifts in mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB and IVA. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3961. [PMID: 38368436 PMCID: PMC10874391 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54626-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are a group of monogenic diseases characterized by mutations in genes coding for proteins associated with the lysosomal function. Despite the monogenic nature, LSDs patients exhibit variable and heterogeneous clinical manifestations, prompting investigations into epigenetic factors underlying this phenotypic diversity. In this study, we focused on the potential role of epigenetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB (MPS IIIB) and mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA). We analyzed DNA methylation (5mC) and histone modifications (H3K14 acetylation and H3K9 trimethylation) in MPS IIIB and MPS IVA patients' fibroblasts and healthy controls. The findings revealed that global DNA hypomethylation is present in cell lines for both diseases. At the same time, histone acetylation was increased in MPS IIIB and MPS IVA cells in a donor-dependent way, further indicating a shift towards relaxed open chromatin in these MPS. Finally, the constitutive heterochromatin marker, histone H3K9 trimethylation, only showed reduced clustering in MPS IIIB cells, suggesting limited alterations in heterochromatin organization. These findings collectively emphasize the significance of epigenetic mechanisms in modulating the phenotypic variations observed in LSDs. While global DNA hypomethylation could contribute to the MPS pathogenesis, the study also highlights individual-specific epigenetic responses that might contribute to phenotypic heterogeneity. Further research into the specific genes and pathways affected by these epigenetic changes could provide insights into potential therapeutic interventions for these MPS and other LSDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Vargas-López
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cra. 7 No. 43-82 Edificio 54, Laboratorio 305A, Bogotá D.C., 110231, Colombia
| | - Luisa F Prada
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cra. 7 No. 43-82 Edificio 54, Laboratorio 305A, Bogotá D.C., 110231, Colombia
| | - Carlos J Alméciga-Díaz
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cra. 7 No. 43-82 Edificio 54, Laboratorio 305A, Bogotá D.C., 110231, Colombia.
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Leal AF, Celik B, Fnu N, Khan S, Tomatsu S, Alméciga-Díaz CJ. Iron oxide-coupled CRISPR-nCas9-based genome editing assessment in mucopolysaccharidosis IVA mice. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 31:101153. [PMID: 38107675 PMCID: PMC10724691 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.101153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IVA is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by mutations in the GALNS gene that leads to the lysosomal accumulation of keratan sulfate (KS) and chondroitin 6-sulfate, causing skeletal dysplasia and cardiopulmonary complications. Current enzyme replacement therapy does not impact the bone manifestation of the disease, supporting that new therapeutic alternatives are required. We previously demonstrated the suitability of the CRISPR-nCas9 system to rescue the phenotype of human MPS IVA fibroblasts using iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) as non-viral vectors. Here, we have extended this strategy to an MPS IVA mouse model by inserting the human GALNS cDNA into the ROSA26 locus. The results showed increased GALNS activity, mono-KS reduction, partial recovery of the bone pathology, and non-IONPs-related toxicity or antibody-mediated immune response activation. This study provides, for the first time, in vivo evidence of the potential of a CRISPR-nCas9-based gene therapy strategy for treating MPS IVA using non-viral vectors as carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Felipe Leal
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá DC 110231, Colombia
- Nemours Children’s Health, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
| | - Betul Celik
- Nemours Children’s Health, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Nidhi Fnu
- Nemours Children’s Health, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
| | - Shaukat Khan
- Nemours Children’s Health, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
| | - Shunji Tomatsu
- Nemours Children’s Health, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19144, USA
| | - Carlos Javier Alméciga-Díaz
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá DC 110231, Colombia
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Leal AF, Alméciga-Díaz CJ, Tomatsu S. Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA: Current Disease Models and Drawbacks. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16148. [PMID: 38003337 PMCID: PMC10671113 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA) is a rare disorder caused by mutations in the N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfate-sulfatase (GALNS) encoding gene. GALNS leads to the lysosomal degradation of the glycosaminoglyccreasans keratan sulfate and chondroitin 6-sulfate. Impaired GALNS enzymes result in skeletal and non-skeletal complications in patients. For years, the MPS IVA pathogenesis and the assessment of promising drugs have been evaluated using in vitro (primarily fibroblasts) and in vivo (mainly mouse) models. Even though value information has been raised from those studies, these models have several limitations. For instance, chondrocytes have been well recognized as primary cells affected in MPS IVA and responsible for displaying bone development impairment in MPS IVA patients; nonetheless, only a few investigations have used those cells to evaluate basic and applied concepts. Likewise, current animal models are extensively represented by mice lacking GALNS expression; however, it is well known that MPS IVA mice do not recapitulate the skeletal dysplasia observed in humans, making some comparisons difficult. This manuscript reviews the current in vitro and in vivo MPS IVA models and their drawbacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Felipe Leal
- Nemours Children’s Health, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA;
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia;
| | - Carlos Javier Alméciga-Díaz
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia;
| | - Shunji Tomatsu
- Nemours Children’s Health, Wilmington, DE 19803, USA;
- Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu 501-1193, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19144, USA
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Leal AF, Inci OK, Seyrantepe V, Rintz E, Celik B, Ago Y, León D, Suarez DA, Alméciga-Díaz CJ, Tomatsu S. Molecular Trojan Horses for treating lysosomal storage diseases. Mol Genet Metab 2023; 140:107648. [PMID: 37598508 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2023.107648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are caused by monogenic mutations in genes encoding for proteins related to the lysosomal function. Lysosome plays critical roles in molecule degradation and cell signaling through interplay with many other cell organelles, such as mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and peroxisomes. Even though several strategies (i.e., protein replacement and gene therapy) have been attempted for LSDs with promising results, there are still some challenges when hard-to-treat tissues such as bone (i.e., cartilages, ligaments, meniscus, etc.), the central nervous system (mostly neurons), and the eye (i.e., cornea, retina) are affected. Consistently, searching for novel strategies to reach those tissues remains a priority. Molecular Trojan Horses have been well-recognized as a potential alternative in several pathological scenarios for drug delivery, including LSDs. Even though molecular Trojan Horses refer to genetically engineered proteins to overcome the blood-brain barrier, such strategy can be extended to strategies able to transport and deliver drugs to specific tissues or cells using cell-penetrating peptides, monoclonal antibodies, vesicles, extracellular vesicles, and patient-derived cells. Only some of those platforms have been attempted in LSDs. In this paper, we review the most recent efforts to develop molecular Trojan Horses and discuss how this strategy could be implemented to enhance the current efficacy of strategies such as protein replacement and gene therapy in the context of LSDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Felipe Leal
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia; Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Orhan Kerim Inci
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, 35430 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Volkan Seyrantepe
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir Institute of Technology, 35430 Izmir, Turkey
| | - Estera Rintz
- Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Betul Celik
- Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Yasuhiko Ago
- Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Daniel León
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Diego A Suarez
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Carlos Javier Alméciga-Díaz
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Shunji Tomatsu
- Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland; Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Hryhorowicz M, Lipiński D, Zeyland J. Evolution of CRISPR/Cas Systems for Precise Genome Editing. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14233. [PMID: 37762535 PMCID: PMC10532350 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241814233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The bacteria-derived CRISPR/Cas (an acronym for regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein) system is currently the most widely used, versatile, and convenient tool for genome engineering. CRISPR/Cas-based technologies have been applied to disease modeling, gene therapies, transcriptional modulation, and diagnostics. Nevertheless, some challenges remain, such as the risk of immunological reactions or off-target effects. To overcome these problems, many new methods and CRISPR/Cas-based tools have been developed. In this review, we describe the current classification of CRISPR systems and new precise genome-editing technologies, summarize the latest applications of this technique in several fields of research, and, finally, discuss CRISPR/Cas system limitations, ethical issues, and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Hryhorowicz
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Dojazd 11, 60-632 Poznań, Poland; (D.L.); (J.Z.)
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Leal AF, Fnu N, Benincore-Flórez E, Herreño-Pachón AM, Echeverri-Peña OY, Alméciga-Díaz CJ, Tomatsu S. The landscape of CRISPR/Cas9 for inborn errors of metabolism. Mol Genet Metab 2023; 138:106968. [PMID: 36525790 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymgme.2022.106968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2022] [Revised: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Since its discovery as a genome editing tool, the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system has opened new horizons in the diagnosis, research, and treatment of genetic diseases. CRISPR/Cas9 can rewrite the genome at any region with outstanding precision to modify it and further instructions for gene expression. Inborn Errors of Metabolism (IEM) are a group of more than 1500 diseases produced by mutations in genes encoding for proteins that participate in metabolic pathways. IEM involves small molecules, energetic deficits, or complex molecules diseases, which may be susceptible to be treated with this novel tool. In recent years, potential therapeutic approaches have been attempted, and new models have been developed using CRISPR/Cas9. In this review, we summarize the most relevant findings in the scientific literature about the implementation of CRISPR/Cas9 in IEM and discuss the future use of CRISPR/Cas9 to modify epigenetic markers, which seem to play a critical role in the context of IEM. The current delivery strategies of CRISPR/Cas9 are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrés Felipe Leal
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia; Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | - Nidhi Fnu
- Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA; University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | | | | | - Olga Yaneth Echeverri-Peña
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Carlos Javier Alméciga-Díaz
- Institute for the Study of Inborn Errors of Metabolism, Faculty of Science, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Shunji Tomatsu
- Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE, USA; University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan; Department of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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CRISPR/nCas9-Based Genome Editing on GM2 Gangliosidoses Fibroblasts via Non-Viral Vectors. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms231810672. [PMID: 36142595 PMCID: PMC9505638 DOI: 10.3390/ijms231810672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The gangliosidoses GM2 are a group of pathologies mainly affecting the central nervous system due to the impaired GM2 ganglioside degradation inside the lysosome. Under physiological conditions, GM2 ganglioside is catabolized by the β-hexosaminidase A in a GM2 activator protein-dependent mechanism. In contrast, uncharged substrates such as globosides and some glycosaminoglycans can be hydrolyzed by the β-hexosaminidase B. Monogenic mutations on HEXA, HEXB, or GM2A genes arise in the Tay–Sachs (TSD), Sandhoff (SD), and AB variant diseases, respectively. In this work, we validated a CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing strategy that relies on a Cas9 nickase (nCas9) as a potential approach for treating GM2 gangliosidoses using in vitro models for TSD and SD. The nCas9 contains a mutation in the catalytic RuvC domain but maintains the active HNH domain, which reduces potential off-target effects. Liposomes (LPs)- and novel magnetoliposomes (MLPs)-based vectors were used to deliver the CRISPR/nCas9 system. When LPs were used as a vector, positive outcomes were observed for the β-hexosaminidase activity, glycosaminoglycans levels, lysosome mass, and oxidative stress. In the case of MLPs, a high cytocompatibility and transfection ratio was observed, with a slight increase in the β-hexosaminidase activity and significant oxidative stress recovery in both TSD and SD cells. These results show the remarkable potential of CRISPR/nCas9 as a new alternative for treating GM2 gangliosidoses, as well as the superior performance of non-viral vectors in enhancing the potency of this therapeutic approach.
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