1
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Yuan S, Bremmer A, Yang X, Li J, Hu Q. Splittable systems in biomedical applications. Biomater Sci 2024. [PMID: 39012216 DOI: 10.1039/d4bm00709c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Splittable systems have emerged as a powerful approach for the precise spatiotemporal control of biological processes. This concept relies on splitting a functional molecule into inactive fragments, which can be reassembled under specific conditions or stimuli to regain activity. Several binding pairs and orthogonal split fragments are introduced by fusing with other modalities to develop more complex and robust designs. One of the pillars of these splittable systems is modularity, which involves decoupling targeting, activation, and effector functions. Challenges, such as off-target effects and overactivation, can be addressed through precise control. This review provides an overview of the design principles, strategies, and applications of splittable systems across diverse fields including immunotherapy, gene editing, prodrug activation, biosensing, and synthetic biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sichen Yuan
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW-Madison), Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA.
- Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystems, University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW-Madison), Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA
- Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW-Madison), Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA
| | - Alexa Bremmer
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW-Madison), Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA.
| | - Xicheng Yang
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW-Madison), Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA.
| | - Jiayue Li
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW-Madison), Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA.
| | - Quanyin Hu
- Pharmaceutical Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW-Madison), Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA.
- Wisconsin Center for NanoBioSystems, University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW-Madison), Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA
- Carbone Cancer Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison (UW-Madison), Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA
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2
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Zhou C, Wagner S, Liang FS. Induced proximity labeling and editing for epigenetic research. Cell Chem Biol 2024; 31:1118-1131. [PMID: 38866004 PMCID: PMC11193966 DOI: 10.1016/j.chembiol.2024.05.005] [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: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation plays a pivotal role in various biological and disease processes. Two key lines of investigation have been pursued that aim to unravel endogenous epigenetic events at particular genes (probing) and artificially manipulate the epigenetic landscape (editing). The concept of induced proximity has inspired the development of powerful tools for epigenetic research. Induced proximity strategies involve bringing molecular effectors into spatial proximity with specific genomic regions to achieve the probing or manipulation of local epigenetic environments with increased proximity. In this review, we detail the development of induced proximity methods and applications in shedding light on the intricacies of epigenetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenwei Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Sarah Wagner
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Fu-Sen Liang
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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3
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Liang S, Ma N, Li X, Yun K, Meng QF, Ma K, Yue L, Rao L, Chen X, Wang Z. A Guanidinobenzol-Rich Polymer Overcoming Cascade Delivery Barriers for CRISPR-Cas9 Genome Editing. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:6872-6880. [PMID: 38683656 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
The efficient cytosolic delivery of the CRISPR-Cas9 machinery remains a challenge for genome editing. Herein, we performed ligand screening and identified a guanidinobenzol-rich polymer to overcome the cascade delivery barriers of CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) for genome editing. RNPs were stably loaded into the polymeric nanoparticles (PGBA NPs) by their inherent affinity. The polymer facilitated rapid endosomal escape of RNPs via a dynamic multiple-step cascade process. Importantly, the incorporation of fluorescence in the polymer helps to identify the correlation between cellular uptake and editing efficiency, increasing the efficiency up to 70% from the initial 30% for the enrichment of edited cells. The PGBA NPs efficiently deliver RNPs for in vivo gene editing via both local and systemic injections and dramatically reduce PCSK9 level. These results indicate that PGBA NPs enable the cascade delivery of RNPs for genome editing, showing great promise in broadening the therapeutic potential of the CRISPR-Cas9 technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Novel Formulation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ning Ma
- Department of Interventional Neuroradiology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Xingang Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Kaiqing Yun
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Novel Formulation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Qian-Fang Meng
- Institute of Biomedical Health Technology and Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
| | - Kongshuo Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Novel Formulation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ludan Yue
- Institute of Biomedical Health Technology and Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
- Departments of Diagnostic Radiology, Surgery, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119074, Singapore
| | - Lang Rao
- Institute of Biomedical Health Technology and Engineering, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Chen
- Departments of Diagnostic Radiology, Surgery, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and College of Design and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119074, Singapore
- Nanomedicine Translational Research Program, NUS Center for Nanomedicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597, Singapore
- Clinical Imaging Research Centre, Centre for Translational Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore 138673, Singapore
- Theranostics Center of Excellence (TCE), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1 Biopolis Way, Helios 138667, Singapore
| | - Zhaohui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Delivery Technology and Novel Formulation, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
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4
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Bae J, Kim J, Choi J, Lee H, Koh M. Split Proteins and Reassembly Modules for Biological Applications. Chembiochem 2024; 25:e202400123. [PMID: 38530024 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202400123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Split systems, modular entities enabling controlled biological processes, have become instrumental in biological research. This review highlights their utility across applications like gene regulation, protein interaction identification, and biosensor development. Covering significant progress over the last decade, it revisits traditional split proteins such as GFP, luciferase, and inteins, and explores advancements in technologies like Cas proteins and base editors. We also examine reassembly modules and their applications in diverse fields, from gene regulation to therapeutic innovation. This review offers a comprehensive perspective on the recent evolution of split systems in biological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jieun Bae
- Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Jonghoon Kim
- Department of Chemistry and Integrative Institute of Basic Science, Soongsil University, Seoul, 06978, Republic of Korea
| | - Jongdoo Choi
- Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Hwiyeong Lee
- Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
| | - Minseob Koh
- Department of Chemistry and Chemistry Institute for Functional Materials, Pusan National University, Busan, 46241, Republic of Korea
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5
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Ma X, Yin J, Qiao L, Wan H, Liu X, Zhou Y, Wu J, Niu L, Wu M, Wang X, Ye H. A programmable targeted protein-degradation platform for versatile applications in mammalian cells and mice. Mol Cell 2024; 84:1585-1600.e7. [PMID: 38479385 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2024.02.019] [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] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Myriad physiological and pathogenic processes are governed by protein levels and modifications. Controlled protein activity perturbation is essential to studying protein function in cells and animals. Based on Trim-Away technology, we screened for truncation variants of E3 ubiquitinase Trim21 with elevated efficiency (ΔTrim21) and developed multiple ΔTrim21-based targeted protein-degradation systems (ΔTrim-TPD) that can be transfected into host cells. Three ΔTrim-TPD variants are developed to enable chemical and light-triggered programmable activation of TPD in cells and animals. Specifically, we used ΔTrim-TPD for (1) red-light-triggered inhibition of HSV-1 virus proliferation by degrading the packaging protein gD, (2) for chemical-triggered control of the activity of Cas9/dCas9 protein for gene editing, and (3) for blue-light-triggered degradation of two tumor-associated proteins for spatiotemporal inhibition of melanoma tumor growth in mice. Our study demonstrates that multiple ΔTrim21-based controllable TPD systems provide powerful tools for basic biology research and highlight their potential biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoding Ma
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jianli Yin
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China; Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision Optics, Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing 401120, China
| | - Longliang Qiao
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Hang Wan
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xingwan Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China; Wuhu Hospital, Health Science Center, East China Normal University, Wuhu City 241001, China
| | - Jiali Wu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Lingxue Niu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Min Wu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Xinyi Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Haifeng Ye
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Centre, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China.
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6
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Li B, Li Q, Qi Z, Li Z, Yan X, Chen Y, Xu X, Pan Q, Chen Y, Huang F, Ping Y. Supramolecular Genome Editing: Targeted Delivery and Endogenous Activation of CRISPR/Cas9 by Dynamic Host-Guest Recognition. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2024; 63:e202316323. [PMID: 38317057 DOI: 10.1002/anie.202316323] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
We synthesize supramolecular poly(disulfide) (CPS) containing covalently attached cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), which is exploited not only as a carrier to deliver plasmid DNA encoding destabilized Cas9 (dsCas9), but also as a host to include trimethoprim (TMP) by CB[7] moieties through the supramolecular complexation to form TMP@CPS/dsCas9. Once the plasmid is transfected into tumor cells by CPS, the presence of polyamines can competitively trigger the decomplexation of TMP@CPS, thereby displacing and releasing TMP from CB[7] to stabilize dsCas9 that can target and edit the genomic locus of PLK1 to inhibit the growth of tumor cells. Following the systemic administration of TMP@CPS/dsCas9 decorated with hyaluronic acid (HA), tumor-specific editing of PLK1 is detected due to the elevated polyamines in tumor microenvironment, greatly minimizing off-target editing in healthy tissues and non-targeted organs. As the metabolism of polyamines is dysregulated in a wide range of disorders, this study offers a supramolecular approach to precisely control CRISPR/Cas9 functions under particular pathological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bowen Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, P. R. China
| | - Qing Li
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
- Zhejiang-Israel Joint Laboratory of Self-Assembling Functional Materials, ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311215, P. R. China
| | - Zidan Qi
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Zhiyao Li
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Xiaojie Yan
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Xiaojie Xu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, P. R. China
| | - Qi Pan
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Yuxuan Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
| | - Feihe Huang
- Stoddart Institute of Molecular Science, Department of Chemistry, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
- Zhejiang-Israel Joint Laboratory of Self-Assembling Functional Materials, ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311215, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Ping
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, P. R. China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 311121, P. R. China
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7
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Grady CJ, Castellanos Franco EA, Schossau J, Ashbaugh RC, Pelled G, Gilad AA. A putative design for the electromagnetic activation of split proteins for molecular and cellular manipulation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2024; 12:1355915. [PMID: 38605993 PMCID: PMC11007078 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1355915] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to manipulate cellular function using an external stimulus is a powerful strategy for studying complex biological phenomena. One approach to modulate the function of the cellular environment is split proteins. In this method, a biologically active protein or an enzyme is fragmented so that it reassembles only upon a specific stimulus. Although many tools are available to induce these systems, nature has provided other mechanisms to expand the split protein toolbox. Here, we show a novel method for reconstituting split proteins using magnetic stimulation. We found that the electromagnetic perceptive gene (EPG) changes conformation due to magnetic field stimulation. By fusing split fragments of a certain protein to both termini of the EPG, the fragments can be reassembled into a functional protein under magnetic stimulation due to conformational change. We show this effect with three separate split proteins: NanoLuc, APEX2, and herpes simplex virus type-1 thymidine kinase. Our results show, for the first time, that reconstitution of split proteins can be achieved only with magnetic fields. We anticipate that this study will be a starting point for future magnetically inducible split protein designs for cellular perturbation and manipulation. With this technology, we can help expand the toolbox of the split protein platform and allow better elucidation of complex biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor J. Grady
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | | | - Jory Schossau
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Ryan C. Ashbaugh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Galit Pelled
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Assaf A. Gilad
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
- Department of Radiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
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8
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Wu X, Yu Y, Wang M, Dai D, Yin J, Liu W, Kong D, Tang S, Meng M, Gao T, Zhang Y, Zhou Y, Guan N, Zhao S, Ye H. AAV-delivered muscone-induced transgene system for treating chronic diseases in mice via inhalation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1122. [PMID: 38321056 PMCID: PMC10847102 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45383-z] [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: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene therapies provide treatment options for many diseases, but the safe and long-term control of therapeutic transgene expression remains a primary issue for clinical applications. Here, we develop a muscone-induced transgene system packaged into adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors (AAVMUSE) based on a G protein-coupled murine olfactory receptor (MOR215-1) and a synthetic cAMP-responsive promoter (PCRE). Upon exposure to the trigger, muscone binds to MOR215-1 and activates the cAMP signaling pathway to initiate transgene expression. AAVMUSE enables remote, muscone dose- and exposure-time-dependent control of luciferase expression in the livers or lungs of mice for at least 20 weeks. Moreover, we apply this AAVMUSE to treat two chronic inflammatory diseases: nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and allergic asthma, showing that inhalation of muscone-after only one injection of AAVMUSE-can achieve long-term controllable expression of therapeutic proteins (ΔhFGF21 or ΔmIL-4). Our odorant-molecule-controlled system can advance gene-based precision therapies for human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Institute of Medical Technology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, 030001, China
| | - Yuanhuan Yu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Meiyan Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision Optics, Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing, 401120, China
| | - Di Dai
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Jianli Yin
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision Optics, Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing, 401120, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Deqiang Kong
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Shasha Tang
- Department of Breast Surgery, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Xincun Road 389, Shanghai, 200065, China
| | - Meiyao Meng
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Tian Gao
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
- Wuhu Hospital, Health Science Center, East China Normal University, Middle Jiuhua Road 263, Wuhu, Anhui, China
| | - Ningzi Guan
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Shangang Zhao
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Haifeng Ye
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell Therapy, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai, 200241, China.
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Precision Optics, Chongqing Institute of East China Normal University, Chongqing, 401120, China.
- Wuhu Hospital, Health Science Center, East China Normal University, Middle Jiuhua Road 263, Wuhu, Anhui, China.
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9
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Sun Y, Chen Q, Cheng Y, Wang X, Deng Z, Zhou F, Sun Y. Design and Engineering of Light-Induced Base Editors Facilitating Genome Editing with Enhanced Fidelity. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305311. [PMID: 38039441 PMCID: PMC10837352 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Base editors, which enable targeted locus nucleotide conversion in genomic DNA without double-stranded breaks, have been engineered as powerful tools for biotechnological and clinical applications. However, the application of base editors is limited by their off-target effects. Continuously expressed deaminases used for gene editing may lead to unwanted base alterations at unpredictable genomic locations. In the present study, blue-light-activated base editors (BLBEs) are engineered based on the distinct photoswitches magnets that can switch from a monomer to dimerization state in response to blue light. By fusing the N- and C-termini of split DNA deaminases with photoswitches Magnets, efficient A-to-G and C-to-T base editing is achieved in response to blue light in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Furthermore, the results showed that BLBEs can realize precise blue light-induced gene editing across broad genomic loci with low off-target activity at the DNA- and RNA-level. Collectively, these findings suggest that the optogenetic utilization of base editing and optical base editors may provide powerful tools to promote the development of optogenetic genome engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangning Sun
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yanbing Cheng
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zixin Deng
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Fuling Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yuhui Sun
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
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10
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Devarajan A. Optically Controlled CRISPR-Cas9 and Cre Recombinase for Spatiotemporal Gene Editing: A Review. ACS Synth Biol 2024; 13:25-44. [PMID: 38134336 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00596] [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: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas9 and Cre recombinase, two tools extensively used for genome interrogation, have catalyzed key breakthroughs in our understanding of complex biological processes and diseases. However, the immense complexity of biological systems and off-target effects hinder clinical applications, necessitating the development of platforms to control gene editing over spatial and temporal dimensions. Among the strategies developed for inducible control, light is particularly attractive as it is noninvasive and affords high spatiotemporal resolution. The principles for optical control of Cas9 and Cre recombinase are broadly similar and involve photocaged enzymes and small molecules, engineered split- and single-chain constructs, light-induced expression, and delivery by light-responsive nanocarriers. Few systems enable spatiotemporal control with a high dynamic range without loss of wild-type editing efficiencies. Such systems posit the promise of light-activatable systems in the clinic. While the prospect of clinical applications is palpably exciting, optimization and extensive preclinical validation are warranted. Judicious integration of optically activated CRISPR and Cre, tailored for the desired application, may help to bridge the "bench-to-bedside" gap in therapeutic gene editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archit Devarajan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, Bhauri, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India - 462066
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11
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Zou Q, Lu Y, Qing B, Li N, Zhou T, Pan J, Zhang X, Zhang X, Chen Y, Sun SK. Photoactivatable base editors for spatiotemporally controlled genome editing in vivo. Biomaterials 2023; 302:122328. [PMID: 37722184 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2023.122328] [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] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR-based base editors (BEs) are powerful tools for precise nucleotide substitution in a wide range of organisms, but spatiotemporal control of base editing remains a daunting challenge. Herein, we develop a photoactivatable base editor (Mag-ABE) for spatiotemporally controlled genome editing in vivo for the first time. The base editing activity of Mag-ABE can be activated by blue light for spatiotemporal regulation of both EGFP reporter gene and various endogenous genes editing. Meanwhile, the Mag-ABE prefers to edit A4 and A5 positions rather than to edit A6 position, showing the potential to decrease bystander editing of traditional adenine base editors. After integration with upconversion nanoparticles as a light transducer, the Mag-ABE is further applied for near-infrared (NIR) light-activated base editing of liver in transgenic reporter mice successfully. This study opens a promising way to improve the operability, safety, and precision of base editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Zou
- Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, China
| | - Yi Lu
- School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300203, China
| | - Bo Qing
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Na Li
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China
| | - Ting Zhou
- School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300203, China
| | - Jinbin Pan
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Xuejun Zhang
- School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300203, China
| | - Xuening Zhang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, China
| | - Yupeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Immune Microenvironment and Disease (Ministry of Education), The Province and Ministry Co-sponsored Collaborative Innovation Center for Medical Epigenetics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300070, China; Tianjin Institute of Urology, The Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300211, China.
| | - Shao-Kai Sun
- School of Medical Imaging, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, 300203, China.
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12
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Chen Y, Ping Y. Development of CRISPR/Cas Delivery Systems for In Vivo Precision Genome Editing. Acc Chem Res 2023; 56:2185-2196. [PMID: 37525893 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.3c00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
ConspectusClustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) is emerging as a powerful genome-editing tool, enabling precise and targeted modifications of virtually any genomic sequence in living cells. These technologies have potential therapeutic applications for cancers, metabolic diseases, and genetic disorders. However, several major challenges hinder the full realization of their potential. Specifically, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editors, whether delivered as plasmid DNA, mRNA/sgRNA, or ribonucleoprotein (RNP), exhibit poor membrane permeability, restricting their access to the intracellular genome, where the editing occurs. Additionally, these editors lack tissue or organ specificity, raising concerns about off-target editing at the tissue level that causes unwanted genotoxicity. Though a range of delivery carriers has been developed to deliver Cas9 editors, their effectiveness is often limited by a number of barriers at both the extracellular and intracellular levels. Moreover, the prolonged activity of Cas9 increases the risk of off-target editing at the genomic level. Therefore, it is crucial to develop efficient delivery vectors, along with molecular switches to safely regulate Cas9 activity.In this Account, we summarize our recent achievements in developing different types of materials that can efficiently deliver the plasmid DNA encoding Cas9 protein and single-guide RNA (sgRNA), or Cas9 RNP into cells to highlight the design considerations of carriers for safe and efficient delivery in vitro and in vivo. After elucidating the chemical and physical factors that are responsible for encapsulating and delivering these biomacromolecules, we further elucidate how we design the biodegradable polymeric carriers using dynamic disulfide chemistry, emphasize their safe and efficient delivery features for genome-editing biomacromolecules, and also introduce the integration of the intracellular delivery of genome-editing biomacromolecules with microneedle-based transdermal delivery to promote therapeutic genome editing for inflammatory skin disorders. Finally, we review how we exploit optical, chemical, and genetic switches to control the Cas9 activity in conjunction with targeted delivery to address the spatiotemporal specificity of gene editing in vivo and demonstrate their precision therapy against cancer and colitis treatment as proof-of-concept examples. In the final part, we will summarize the progress we have made and propose the future directions that may impact the field based on our own research outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxuan Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuan Ping
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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13
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Liang Y, Zhang J, Xu C, Wang J, Han W, Yang J, Wu S, An J, Liu J, Zhang Z, Shi J, Zhang K. Biomimetic Mineralized CRISPR/Cas RNA Nanoparticles for Efficient Tumor-Specific Multiplex Gene Editing. ACS NANO 2023; 17:15025-15043. [PMID: 37481734 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c04116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9 systems have great potential to achieve sophisticated gene therapy and cell engineering by editing multiple genomic loci. However, to achieve efficient multiplex gene editing, the delivery system needs adequate capacity to transfect all CRISPR/Cas9 RNA species at the required stoichiometry into the cytosol of each individual cell. Herein, inspired by biomineralization in nature, we develop an all-in-one biomimetic mineralized CRISPR/Cas9 RNA delivery system. This system allows for precise control over the coencapsulation ratio between Cas9 mRNA and multiple sgRNAs, while also exhibiting a high RNA loading capacity. In addition, it enhances the storage stability of RNA at 4 °C for up to one month, and the surface of the nanoparticles can be easily functionalized for precise targeting of RNA nanoparticles in vivo at nonliver sites. Based on the above characteristics, as a proof-of-concept, our system was able to achieve significant gene-editing at each target gene (Survivin: 31.9%, PLK1: 24.41%, HPV: 23.2%) and promote apoptosis of HeLa cells in the mouse model, inhibiting tumor growth without obvious off-target effects in liver tissue. This system addresses various challenges associated with multicomponent RNA delivery in vivo, providing an innovative strategy for the RNA-based CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Jingge Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Chenlu Xu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Jinjin Wang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Wenshuai Han
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Jiali Yang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Sixuan Wu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Jingyi An
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Junjie Liu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Zhenzhong Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Jinjin Shi
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
| | - Kaixiang Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Targeting Therapy and Diagnosis for Critical Diseases Collaborative Innovation Center of New Drug Research and Safety Evaluation, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, P. R. China
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14
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Deng C, Li S, Liu Y, Bao W, Xu C, Zheng W, Wang M, Ma X. Split-Cas9-based targeted gene editing and nanobody-mediated proteolysis-targeting chimeras optogenetically coordinated regulation of Survivin to control the fate of cancer cells. Clin Transl Med 2023; 13:e1382. [PMID: 37620295 PMCID: PMC10449816 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1382] [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] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Precise regulation of partial critical proteins in cancer cells, such as anti-apoptotic proteins, is one of the crucial strategies for treating cancer and discovering related molecular mechanisms. Still, it is also challenging in actual research and practice. The widely used CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing technology and proteolysis-targeting chimeras (PROTACs) have played an essential role in regulating gene expression and protein function in cells. However, the accuracy and controllability of their targeting remain necessary. METHODS Construction of UMUC-3-EGFP stable transgenic cell lines using the Sleeping Beauty system, Flow cytometry, quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, fluorescence microplate reader and fluorescence inverted microscope analysis of EGFP intensity. Characterization of Survivin inhibition was done by using Annexin V-FITC/PI apoptosis, calcein/PI/DAPI cell viability/cytotoxicity assay, cloning formation assay and scratch assay. The cell-derived xenograft (CDX) model was constructed to assess the in vivo effects of reducing Survivin expression. RESULTS Herein, we established a synergistic control platform that coordinated photoactivatable split-Cas9 targeted gene editing and light-induced protein degradation, on which the Survivin gene in the nucleus was controllably edited by blue light irradiation (named paCas9-Survivin) and simultaneously the Survivin protein in the cytoplasm was degraded precisely by a nanobody-mediated target (named paProtacL-Survivin). Meanwhile, in vitro experiments demonstrated that reducing Survivin expression could effectively promote apoptosis and decrease the proliferation and migration of bladder cancerous cells. Furthermore, the CDX model was constructed using UMUC-3 cell lines, results from animal studies indicated that both the paCas9-Survivin system and paProtacL-Survivin significantly inhibited tumour growth, with higher inhibition rates when combined. CONCLUSIONS In short, the coordinated regulatory strategies and combinable technology platforms offer clear advantages in controllability and targeting, as well as an excellent reference value and universal applicability in controlling the fate of cancer cells through multi-level regulation of key intracellular factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changping Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor EngineeringEast China University of Science and TechnologyShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Shihui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor EngineeringEast China University of Science and TechnologyShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Yuping Liu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug DesignSchool of PharmacyEast China University of Science and TechnologyShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Wen Bao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug DesignSchool of PharmacyEast China University of Science and TechnologyShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Chengnan Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug DesignSchool of PharmacyEast China University of Science and TechnologyShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Wenyun Zheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of New Drug DesignSchool of PharmacyEast China University of Science and TechnologyShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Meiyan Wang
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering LaboratoryBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of BiomedicalSciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiP. R. China
| | - Xingyuan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Bioreactor EngineeringEast China University of Science and TechnologyShanghaiP. R. China
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15
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Alba Burbano D, Cardiff RAL, Tickman BI, Kiattisewee C, Maranas CJ, Zalatan JG, Carothers JM. Engineering activatable promoters for scalable and multi-input CRISPRa/i circuits. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220358120. [PMID: 37463216 PMCID: PMC10374173 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220358120] [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] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Dynamic, multi-input gene regulatory networks (GRNs) are ubiquitous in nature. Multilayer CRISPR-based genetic circuits hold great promise for building GRNs akin to those found in naturally occurring biological systems. We develop an approach for creating high-performing activatable promoters that can be assembled into deep, wide, and multi-input CRISPR-activation and -interference (CRISPRa/i) GRNs. By integrating sequence-based design and in vivo screening, we engineer activatable promoters that achieve up to 1,000-fold dynamic range in an Escherichia coli-based cell-free system. These components enable CRISPRa GRNs that are six layers deep and four branches wide. We show the generalizability of the promoter engineering workflow by improving the dynamic range of the light-dependent EL222 optogenetic system from 6-fold to 34-fold. Additionally, high dynamic range promoters enable CRISPRa systems mediated by small molecules and protein-protein interactions. We apply these tools to build input-responsive CRISPRa/i GRNs, including feedback loops, logic gates, multilayer cascades, and dynamic pulse modulators. Our work provides a generalizable approach for the design of high dynamic range activatable promoters and enables classes of gene regulatory functions in cell-free systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Alba Burbano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Ryan A. L. Cardiff
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Benjamin I. Tickman
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Cholpisit Kiattisewee
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Cassandra J. Maranas
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Jesse G. Zalatan
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - James M. Carothers
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Center for Synthetic Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
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16
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Chen KN, Ma BG. OptoCRISPRi-HD: Engineering a Bacterial Green-Light-Activated CRISPRi System with a High Dynamic Range. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1708-1715. [PMID: 37217315 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00035] [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: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The ability to modulate gene expression is crucial for studying gene function and programming cell behaviors. Combining the reliability of CRISPRi and the precision of optogenetics, the optoCRISPRi technique is emerging as an advanced tool for live-cell gene regulation. Since previous versions of optoCRISPRi often exhibit no more than a 10-fold dynamic range due to the leakage activity, they are not suitable for targets that are sensitive to such leakage or critical for cell growth. Here, we describe a green-light-activated CRISPRi system with a high dynamic range (40 fold) and the flexibility of changing targets in Escherichia coli. Our optoCRISPRi-HD system can efficiently repress essential genes, nonessential genes, or inhibit the initiation of DNA replication. Providing a regulative system with high resolution over space-time and extensive targets, our study would facilitate further research involving complex gene networks, metabolic flux redirection, or bioprinting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Ning Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Bin-Guang Ma
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Agricultural Bioinformatics, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
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17
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Yuan T, Tang H, Xu X, Shao J, Wu G, Cho YC, Ping Y, Liang G. Inflammation conditional genome editing mediated by the CRISPR-Cas9 system. iScience 2023; 26:106872. [PMID: 37260750 PMCID: PMC10227425 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The specificity of CRISPR-Cas9 in response to particular pathological stimuli remains largely unexplored. Hence, we designed an inflammation-inducible CRISPR-Cas9 system by grafting a sequence that binds with NF-κB to the CRISPR-Cas9 framework, termed NBS-CRISPR. The genetic scissor function of this developed genome-editing tool is activated on encountering an inflammatory attack and is inactivated or minimized in non-inflammation conditions. Furthermore, we employed this platform to reverse inflammatory conditions by targeting the MyD88 gene, a crucial player in the NF-κB signaling pathway, and achieved impressive therapeutic effects. Finally, during inflammation, P65 (RELA) can translocate to the nucleus from the cytoplasm. Herein, to avoid Cas9 leaky DNA cleavage activity i, we constructed an NBS-P65-CRISPR system expressing the Cas9-p65 fusion protein. Our inflammation inducible Cas9-mediated genome editing strategy provides new perspectives and avenues for pathological gene interrogation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Yuan
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Honglin Tang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xiaojie Xu
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Jingjing Shao
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Gaojun Wu
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
| | - Young-Chang Cho
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea
| | - Yuan Ping
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Guang Liang
- Department of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
- Chemical Biology Research Center, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China
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18
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Gao TT, Oh T, Mehta K, Huang YA, Camp T, Fan H, Han JW, Barnes CM, Zhang K. The clinical potential of optogenetic interrogation of pathogenesis. Clin Transl Med 2023; 13:e1243. [PMID: 37132114 PMCID: PMC10154842 DOI: 10.1002/ctm2.1243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opsin-based optogenetics has emerged as a powerful biomedical tool using light to control protein conformation. Such capacity has been initially demonstrated to control ion flow across the cell membrane, enabling precise control of action potential in excitable cells such as neurons or muscle cells. Further advancement in optogenetics incorporates a greater variety of photoactivatable proteins and results in flexible control of biological processes, such as gene expression and signal transduction, with commonly employed light sources such as LEDs or lasers in optical microscopy. Blessed by the precise genetic targeting specificity and superior spatiotemporal resolution, optogenetics offers new biological insights into physiological and pathological mechanisms underlying health and diseases. Recently, its clinical potential has started to be capitalized, particularly for blindness treatment, due to the convenient light delivery into the eye. AIMS AND METHODS This work summarizes the progress of current clinical trials and provides a brief overview of basic structures and photophysics of commonly used photoactivable proteins. We highlight recent achievements such as optogenetic control of the chimeric antigen receptor, CRISPR-Cas system, gene expression, and organelle dynamics. We discuss conceptual innovation and technical challenges faced by current optogenetic research. CONCLUSION In doing so, we provide a framework that showcases ever-growing applications of optogenetics in biomedical research and may inform novel precise medicine strategies based on this enabling technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyu Terry Gao
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Teak‐Jung Oh
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Kritika Mehta
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Yu‐En Andrew Huang
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignCenter for Biophysics and Quantitative BiologyUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Tyler Camp
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Huaxun Fan
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Jeong Won Han
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Collin Michael Barnes
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
| | - Kai Zhang
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignDepartment of BiochemistryUrbanaIllinoisUSA
- University of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignCenter for Biophysics and Quantitative BiologyUrbanaIllinoisUSA
- Cancer Center at IllinoisUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbanaIllinoisUSA
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19
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Ding J, Lu J, Zhang Q, Xu Y, Song B, Wu Y, Shi H, Chu B, Wang H, He Y. Camouflage Nanoparticles Enable in Situ Bioluminescence-Driven Optogenetic Therapy of Retinoblastoma. ACS NANO 2023; 17:7750-7764. [PMID: 37022677 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c00470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetic therapy has emerged as a promising technique for the treatment of ocular diseases; however, most optogenetic tools rely on external blue light to activate the photoswitch, whose relatively strong phototoxicity may induce retinal damage. Herein, we present the demonstration of camouflage nanoparticle-based vectors for in situ bioluminescence-driven optogenetic therapy of retinoblastoma. In biomimetic vectors, the photoreceptor CRY2 and its interacting partner CIB1 plasmid are camouflaged with folic acid ligands and luciferase NanoLuc-modified macrophage membranes. To conduct proof-of-concept research, this study employs a mouse model of retinoblastoma. In comparison to external blue light irradiation, the developed system enables an in situ bioluminescence-activated apoptotic pathway to inhibit tumor growth with greater therapeutic efficacy, resulting in a significant reduction in ocular tumor size. Furthermore, unlike external blue light irradiation, which causes retinal damage and corneal neovascularization, the camouflage nanoparticle-based optogenetic system maintains retinal structural integrity while avoiding corneal neovascularization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Ding
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (NANO-CIC), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Jianping Lu
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (NANO-CIC), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Qian Zhang
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (NANO-CIC), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yanan Xu
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (NANO-CIC), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Bin Song
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (NANO-CIC), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yuqi Wu
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (NANO-CIC), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Haoliang Shi
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (NANO-CIC), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Binbin Chu
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (NANO-CIC), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Houyu Wang
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (NANO-CIC), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yao He
- Suzhou Key Laboratory of Nanotechnology and Biomedicine, Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM) and Collaborative Innovation Center of Suzhou Nano Science and Technology (NANO-CIC), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
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20
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Allemailem KS, Almatroodi SA, Almatroudi A, Alrumaihi F, Al Abdulmonem W, Al-Megrin WAI, Aljamaan AN, Rahmani AH, Khan AA. Recent Advances in Genome-Editing Technology with CRISPR/Cas9 Variants and Stimuli-Responsive Targeting Approaches within Tumor Cells: A Future Perspective of Cancer Management. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:7052. [PMID: 37108214 PMCID: PMC10139162 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24087052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The innovative advances in transforming clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) into different variants have taken the art of genome-editing specificity to new heights. Allosteric modulation of Cas9-targeting specificity by sgRNA sequence alterations and protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) modifications have been a good lesson to learn about specificity and activity scores in different Cas9 variants. Some of the high-fidelity Cas9 variants have been ranked as Sniper-Cas9, eSpCas9 (1.1), SpCas9-HF1, HypaCas9, xCas9, and evoCas9. However, the selection of an ideal Cas9 variant for a given target sequence remains a challenging task. A safe and efficient delivery system for the CRISPR/Cas9 complex at tumor target sites faces considerable challenges, and nanotechnology-based stimuli-responsive delivery approaches have significantly contributed to cancer management. Recent innovations in nanoformulation design, such as pH, glutathione (GSH), photo, thermal, and magnetic responsive systems, have modernized the art of CRISPR/Cas9 delivery approaches. These nanoformulations possess enhanced cellular internalization, endosomal membrane disruption/bypass, and controlled release. In this review, we aim to elaborate on different CRISPR/Cas9 variants and advances in stimuli-responsive nanoformulations for the specific delivery of this endonuclease system. Furthermore, the critical constraints of this endonuclease system on clinical translations towards the management of cancer and prospects are described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaled S. Allemailem
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saleh A. Almatroodi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Almatroudi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faris Alrumaihi
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Waleed Al Abdulmonem
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wafa Abdullah I. Al-Megrin
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Arshad Husain Rahmani
- Department of Medical Laboratories, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amjad Ali Khan
- Department of Basic Health Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia
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21
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Chernov KG, Manoilov KY, Oliinyk OS, Shcherbakova DM, Verkhusha VV. Photodegradable by Yellow-Orange Light degFusionRed Optogenetic Module with Autocatalytically Formed Chromophore. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:6526. [PMID: 37047499 PMCID: PMC10095432 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24076526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Optogenetic systems driven by yellow-orange light are required for the simultaneous regulation of several cellular processes. We have engineered the red fluorescent protein FusionRed into a 26 kDa monomeric optogenetic module, called degFusionRed. Unlike other fluorescent protein-based optogenetic domains, which exhibit light-induced self-inactivation by generating reactive oxygen species, degFusionRed undergoes proteasomal degradation upon illumination with 567 nm light. Similarly to the parent protein, degFusionRed has minimal absorbance at 450 nm and above 650 nm, making it spectrally compatible with blue and near-infrared-light-controlled optogenetic tools. The autocatalytically formed chromophore provides degFusionRed with an additional advantage over most optogenetic tools that require the binding of the exogenous chromophores, the amount of which varies in different cells. The degFusionRed efficiently performed in the engineered light-controlled transcription factor and in the targeted photodegradation of the protein of interest, demonstrating its versatility as the optogenetic module of choice for spectral multiplexed interrogation of various cellular processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kyrylo Yu. Manoilov
- Department of Genetics and Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Olena S. Oliinyk
- Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daria M. Shcherbakova
- Department of Genetics and Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Vladislav V. Verkhusha
- Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00290 Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Genetics and Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
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22
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Xu Y, Tian N, Shi H, Zhou C, Wang Y, Liang FS. A Split CRISPR/Cas13b System for Conditional RNA Regulation and Editing. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:5561-5569. [PMID: 36811465 PMCID: PMC10425183 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c01087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas13b system has been demonstrated as a robust tool for versatile RNA studies and relevant applications. New strategies enabling precise control of Cas13b/dCas13b activities and minimal interference with native RNA activities will further facilitate the understanding and regulation of RNA functions. Here, we engineered a split Cas13b system that can be conditionally activated and deactivated under the induction of abscisic acid (ABA), which achieved the downregulation of endogenous RNAs in dosage- and time-dependent manners. Furthermore, an ABA inducible split dCas13b system was generated to achieve temporally controlled deposition of m6A at specific sites on cellular RNAs through conditional assembly and disassembly of split dCas13b fusion proteins. We also showed that the activities of split Cas13b/dCas13b systems can be modulated by light via using a photoactivatable ABA derivative. Overall, these split Cas13b/dCas13b platforms expand the existing repertoire of the CRISPR and RNA regulation toolkit to achieve targeted manipulation of RNAs in native cellular environments with minimal functional disruption to these endogenous RNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Na Tian
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Huaxia Shi
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Chenwei Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Yufan Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Fu-Sen Liang
- Department of Chemistry, Case Western Reserve University, 2080 Adelbert Road, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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23
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Meng X, Wu TG, Lou QY, Niu KY, Jiang L, Xiao QZ, Xu T, Zhang L. Optimization of CRISPR-Cas system for clinical cancer therapy. Bioeng Transl Med 2023; 8:e10474. [PMID: 36925702 PMCID: PMC10013785 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a genetic disease caused by alterations in genome and epigenome and is one of the leading causes for death worldwide. The exploration of disease development and therapeutic strategies at the genetic level have become the key to the treatment of cancer and other genetic diseases. The functional analysis of genes and mutations has been slow and laborious. Therefore, there is an urgent need for alternative approaches to improve the current status of cancer research. Gene editing technologies provide technical support for efficient gene disruption and modification in vivo and in vitro, in particular the use of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas systems. Currently, the applications of CRISPR-Cas systems in cancer rely on different Cas effector proteins and the design of guide RNAs. Furthermore, effective vector delivery must be met for the CRISPR-Cas systems to enter human clinical trials. In this review article, we describe the mechanism of the CRISPR-Cas systems and highlight the applications of class II Cas effector proteins. We also propose a synthetic biology approach to modify the CRISPR-Cas systems, and summarize various delivery approaches facilitating the clinical application of the CRISPR-Cas systems. By modifying the CRISPR-Cas system and optimizing its in vivo delivery, promising and effective treatments for cancers using the CRISPR-Cas system are emerging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Meng
- College & Hospital of Stomatology Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Research of Anhui Province Hefei People's Republic of China
| | - Tian-Gang Wu
- College & Hospital of Stomatology Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Research of Anhui Province Hefei People's Republic of China
| | - Qiu-Yue Lou
- Anhui Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention Hefei People's Republic of China
| | - Kai-Yuan Niu
- Clinical Pharmacology, William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI), Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) Heart Centre (G23) London UK.,Department of Otolaryngology The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University Hefei China
| | - Lei Jiang
- College & Hospital of Stomatology Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Research of Anhui Province Hefei People's Republic of China
| | - Qing-Zhong Xiao
- Clinical Pharmacology, William Harvey Research Institute (WHRI), Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) Heart Centre (G23) London UK
| | - Tao Xu
- School of Pharmacy, Anhui Key Laboratory of Bioactivity of Natural Products Anhui Medical University Hefei China.,Inflammation and Immune Mediated Diseases Laboratory of Anhui Province Hefei China
| | - Lei Zhang
- College & Hospital of Stomatology Anhui Medical University, Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases Research of Anhui Province Hefei People's Republic of China.,Department of Periodontology Anhui Stomatology Hospital Affiliated to Anhui Medical University Hefei China
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24
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Li S, Tang H, Li C, Ma J, Ali M, Dong Q, Wu J, Hui Y, Sun C. Synthetic Biology Technologies And Genetically Engineering Strategies For Enhanced Cell Therapeutics. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2023; 19:309-321. [PMID: 36166137 PMCID: PMC9514184 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-022-10454-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Stem cell therapy mainly uses natural stem cells for transplantation, and the use of genetic engineering to optimize stem cell products is a very important process. This article reviews successful gene modification methods in the field of immune cell therapy and summarizes some attempts at stem cell gene editing in current research. Cell bridging is an innovative cutting-edge strategy that includes the specific recognition and signal transduction of artificial receptors. The "off-the-shelf" cell strategies mainly introduce the advantages of allogeneic cell therapy and how to overcome issues such as immunogenicity. Gene regulatory systems allow us to manipulate cells with small molecules to control cellular phenotypes. In addition, we also summarize some important genes that can provide a reference for cell genetic engineering. In conclusion, we summarize a variety of technical strategies for gene editing cells to provide useful ideas and experiences for future stem cell therapy research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, 157 BaoJian Road Nangang Dist, Harbin, 150086, People's Republic of China
| | - Hao Tang
- Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, People's Republic of China
| | - Cheng Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, 157 BaoJian Road Nangang Dist, Harbin, 150086, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiajia Ma
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, 157 BaoJian Road Nangang Dist, Harbin, 150086, People's Republic of China
| | - Maqsood Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, 157 BaoJian Road Nangang Dist, Harbin, 150086, People's Republic of China
| | - Qi Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, 157 BaoJian Road Nangang Dist, Harbin, 150086, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiajia Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, 157 BaoJian Road Nangang Dist, Harbin, 150086, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Hui
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Harbin Medical University, 157 BaoJian Road Nangang Dist, Harbin, 150086, People's Republic of China.
- Basic Medical Institute of Heilongjiang Medical Science Academy, Harbin, China.
| | - Chongran Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 866 Yuhangtang Road, Hangzhou City, Xihu District, 310058, People's Republic of China.
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25
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Wang M, Liu Y, Wang Z, Qiao L, Ma X, Hu L, Kong D, Wang Y, Ye H. An Optogenetic-Controlled Cell Reprogramming System for Driving Cell Fate and Light-Responsive Chimeric Mice. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2202858. [PMID: 36507552 PMCID: PMC9896073 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202202858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) hold great promise for cell-based therapies, disease modeling, and drug discovery. Classic somatic cell reprogramming to generate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is often achieved based on overexpression of transcription factors (TFs). However, this process is limited by side effect of overexpressed TFs and unpredicted targeting of TFs. Pinpoint control over endogenous TFs expression can provide the ability to reprogram cell fate and tissue function. Here, a light-inducible cell reprogramming (LIRE) system is developed based on a photoreceptor protein cryptochrome system and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/nuclease-deficient CRISPR-associated protein 9 for induced PSCs reprogramming. This system enables remote, non-invasive optogenetical regulation of endogenous Sox2 and Oct4 loci to reprogram mouse embryonic fibroblasts into iPSCs (iPSCLIRE ) under light-emitting diode-based illumination. iPSCLIRE cells can be efficiently differentiated into different cells by upregulating a corresponding TF. iPSCLIRE cells are used for blastocyst injection and optogenetic chimeric mice are successfully generated, which enables non-invasive control of user-defined endogenous genes in vivo, providing a valuable tool for facile and traceless controlled gene expression studies and genetic screens in mice. This LIRE system offers a remote, traceless, and non-invasive approach for cellular reprogramming and modeling of complex human diseases in basic biological research and regenerative medicine applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meiyan Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell TherapyBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityDongchuan Road 500Shanghai200241China
| | - Yuanxiao Liu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell TherapyBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityDongchuan Road 500Shanghai200241China
| | - Ziwei Wang
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell TherapyBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityDongchuan Road 500Shanghai200241China
| | - Longliang Qiao
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell TherapyBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityDongchuan Road 500Shanghai200241China
| | - Xiaoding Ma
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell TherapyBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityDongchuan Road 500Shanghai200241China
| | - Lingfeng Hu
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell TherapyBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityDongchuan Road 500Shanghai200241China
| | - Deqiang Kong
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell TherapyBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityDongchuan Road 500Shanghai200241China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
| | - Haifeng Ye
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Genome Editing and Cell TherapyBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityDongchuan Road 500Shanghai200241China
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26
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CRISPR/Cas9 in the era of nanomedicine and synthetic biology. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103375. [PMID: 36174966 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas system was first discovered as a defense mechanism in bacteria and is now used as a tool for precise gene-editing applications. Rapidly evolving, it is increasingly applied in therapeutics. However, concerns about safety, specificity, and delivery still limit its potential. In this context, we introduce the concept of nanogenetics and speculate how the rational engineering of the CRISPR/Cas machinery could advance the biomedical field. In nanogenetics, the advantages of traditional approaches of synthetic biology could be expanded by nanotechnology approaches, enabling the design of a new generation of intrinsically safe and specific genome-editing platforms.
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27
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Song J, Liu C, Li B, Liu L, Zeng L, Ye Z, Wu W, Zhu L, Hu B. Synthetic peptides for the precise transportation of proteins of interests to selectable subcellular areas. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1062769. [PMID: 36890909 PMCID: PMC9986269 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1062769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Proteins, as gifts from nature, provide structure, sequence, and function templates for designing biomaterials. As first reported here, one group of proteins called reflectins and derived peptides were found to present distinct intracellular distribution preferences. Taking their conserved motifs and flexible linkers as Lego bricks, a series of reflectin-derivates were designed and expressed in cells. The selective intracellular localization property leaned on an RMs (canonical conserved reflectin motifs)-replication-determined manner, suggesting that these linkers and motifs were constructional fragments and ready-to-use building blocks for synthetic design and construction. A precise spatiotemporal application demo was constructed in the work by integrating RLNto2 (as one representative of a synthetic peptide derived from RfA1) into the Tet-on system to effectively transport cargo peptides into nuclei at selective time points. Further, the intracellular localization of RfA1 derivatives was spatiotemporally controllable with a CRY2/CIB1 system. At last, the functional homogeneities of either motifs or linkers were verified, which made them standardized building blocks for synthetic biology. In summary, the work provides a modularized, orthotropic, and well-characterized synthetic-peptide warehouse for precisely regulating the nucleocytoplasmic localization of proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyi Song
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chuanyang Liu
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Baoshan Li
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Liangcheng Liu
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ling Zeng
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zonghuang Ye
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Wenjian Wu
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Lingyun Zhu
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Biru Hu
- Department of Biology and Chemistry, College of Science, National University of Defense Technology, Changsha, Hunan, China
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28
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Lan TH, He L, Huang Y, Zhou Y. Optogenetics for transcriptional programming and genetic engineering. Trends Genet 2022; 38:1253-1270. [PMID: 35738948 PMCID: PMC10484296 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2022.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetics combines genetics and biophotonics to enable noninvasive control of biological processes with high spatiotemporal precision. When engineered into protein machineries that govern the cellular information flow as depicted in the central dogma, multiple genetically encoded non-opsin photosensory modules have been harnessed to modulate gene transcription, DNA or RNA modifications, DNA recombination, and genome engineering by utilizing photons emitting in the wide range of 200-1000 nm. We present herein generally applicable modular strategies for optogenetic engineering and highlight latest advances in the broad applications of opsin-free optogenetics to program transcriptional outputs and precisely manipulate the mammalian genome, epigenome, and epitranscriptome. We also discuss current challenges and future trends in opsin-free optogenetics, which has been rapidly evolving to meet the growing needs in synthetic biology and genetics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien-Hung Lan
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lian He
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Yun Huang
- Center for Epigenetics and Disease Prevention, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Yubin Zhou
- Center for Translational Cancer Research, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Translational Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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29
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Yang Y, Li D, Wan F, Chen B, Wu G, Li F, Ren Y, Liang P, Wan J, Songyang Z. Identification and Analysis of Small Molecule Inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas9 in Human Cells. Cells 2022; 11:3574. [PMID: 36429003 PMCID: PMC9688475 DOI: 10.3390/cells11223574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome editing tools based on CRISPR-Cas systems can repair genetic mutations in situ; however, off-target effects and DNA damage lesions that result from genome editing remain major roadblocks to its full clinical implementation. Protein and chemical inhibitors of CRISPR-Cas systems may reduce off-target effects and DNA damage. Here we describe the identification of several lead chemical inhibitors that could specifically inhibit the activity of Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 (SpCas9). In addition, we obtained derivatives of lead inhibitors that could penetrate the cell membrane and inhibit SpCas9 in cellulo. Two of these compounds, SP2 and SP24, were able to improve the specificity of SpCas9 in cellulo at low-micromolar concentration. Furthermore, microscale thermophoresis (MST) assays showed that SP24 might inhibit SpCas9 activity by interacting with both the SpCas9 protein and the SpCas9-gRNA ribonucleoprotein complex. Taken together, SP24 is a novel chemical inhibitor of SpCas9 which has the potential to enhance therapies that utilize SpCas9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Donghua Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Fen Wan
- International Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis (Hubei), Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Bohong Chen
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Guanglan Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Feng Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
| | - Yanliang Ren
- International Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis (Hubei), Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Puping Liang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
| | - Jian Wan
- International Cooperation Base of Pesticide and Green Synthesis (Hubei), Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology (CCNU), Ministry of Education, Department of Chemistry, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zhou Songyang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Gene Function and Regulation and Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Healthy Aging Research, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, China
- Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510060, China
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30
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A red light-responsive photoswitch for deep tissue optogenetics. Nat Biotechnol 2022; 40:1672-1679. [PMID: 35697806 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-022-01351-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Red light penetrates deep into mammalian tissues and has low phototoxicity, but few optogenetic tools that use red light have been developed. Here we present MagRed, a red light-activatable photoswitch that consists of a red light-absorbing bacterial phytochrome incorporating a mammalian endogenous chromophore, biliverdin and a photo-state-specific binder that we developed using Affibody library selection. Red light illumination triggers the binding of the two components of MagRed and the assembly of split-proteins fused to them. Using MagRed, we developed a red light-activatable Cre recombinase, which enables light-activatable DNA recombination deep in mammalian tissues. We also created red light-inducible transcriptional regulators based on CRISPR-Cas9 that enable an up to 378-fold activation (average, 135-fold induction) of multiple endogenous target genes. MagRed will facilitate optogenetic applications deep in mammalian organisms in a variety of biological research areas.
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31
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Swartjes T, Shang P, van den Berg DTM, Künne T, Geijsen N, Brouns SJJ, van der Oost J, Staals RHJ, Notebaart RA. Modulating CRISPR-Cas Genome Editing Using Guide-Complementary DNA Oligonucleotides. CRISPR J 2022; 5:571-585. [PMID: 35856642 PMCID: PMC9419950 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2022.0011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats and CRISPR-associated proteins (CRISPR-Cas) has revolutionized genome editing and has great potential for many applications, such as correcting human genetic disorders. To increase the safety of genome editing applications, CRISPR-Cas may benefit from strict control over Cas enzyme activity. Previously, anti-CRISPR proteins and designed oligonucleotides have been proposed to modulate CRISPR-Cas activity. In this study, we report on the potential of guide-complementary DNA oligonucleotides as controlled inhibitors of Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes. First, we show that DNA oligonucleotides inhibit Cas9 activity in human cells, reducing both on- and off-target cleavage. We then used in vitro assays to better understand how inhibition is achieved and under which conditions. Two factors were found to be important for robust inhibition: the length of the complementary region and the presence of a protospacer adjacent motif-loop on the inhibitor. We conclude that DNA oligonucleotides can be used to effectively inhibit Cas9 activity both ex vivo and in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Swartjes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Peng Shang
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Tim Künne
- Food Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Niels Geijsen
- Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Stan J J Brouns
- Department of Bionanoscience, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.,Kavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - John van der Oost
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Raymond H J Staals
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Richard A Notebaart
- Food Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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32
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Li M, Park BM, Dai X, Xu Y, Huang J, Sun F. Controlling synthetic membraneless organelles by a red-light-dependent singlet oxygen-generating protein. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3197. [PMID: 35680863 PMCID: PMC9184582 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30933-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Membraneless organelles (MLOs) formed via protein phase separation have great implications for both physiological and pathological processes. However, the inability to precisely control the bioactivities of MLOs has hindered our understanding of their roles in biology, not to mention their translational applications. Here, by combining intrinsically disordered domains such as RGG and mussel-foot proteins, we create an in cellulo protein phase separation system, of which various biological activities can be introduced via metal-mediated protein immobilization and further controlled by the water-soluble chlorophyll protein (WSCP)—a remarkably stable, red-light-responsive singlet oxygen generator. The WSCP-laden protein condensates undergo a liquid-to-solid phase transition on light exposure, due to oxidative crosslinking, providing a means to control catalysis within synthetic MLOs. Moreover, these photoresponsive condensates, which retain the light-induced phase-transition behavior in living cells, exhibit marked membrane localization, reminiscent of the semi-membrane-bound compartments like postsynaptic densities in nervous systems. Together, this engineered system provides an approach toward controllable synthetic MLOs and, alongside its light-induced phase transition, may well serve to emulate and explore the aging process at the subcellular or even molecular level. Membraneless organelles play vital cellular roles, and control over their formation and state could have varied applications. Here, the authors develop photoresponsive synthetic condensates whose activity can be controlled through the use of light to trigger liquid-to-solid phase transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjia Li
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Byung Min Park
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xin Dai
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China.,Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Health@InnoHK, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yingjie Xu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.,Greater Bay Biomedical InnoCenter, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518036, China
| | - Jinqing Huang
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Fei Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China. .,Greater Bay Biomedical InnoCenter, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518036, China. .,Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University-The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen, 518036, China. .,HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
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33
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Optogenetic technologies in translational cancer research. Biotechnol Adv 2022; 60:108005. [PMID: 35690273 DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2022.108005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Gene and cell therapies are widely recognized as future cancer therapeutics but poor controllability limits their clinical applications. Optogenetics, the use of light-controlled proteins to precisely spatiotemporally regulate the activity of genes and cells, opens up new possibilities for cancer treatment. Light of specific wavelength can activate the immune response, oncolytic activity and modulate cell signaling in tumor cells non-invasively, in dosed manner, with tissue confined action and without side effects of conventional therapies. Here, we review optogenetic approaches in cancer research, their clinical potential and challenges of incorporating optogenetics in cancer therapy. We critically discuss beneficial combinations of optogenetic technologies with therapeutic nanobodies, T-cell activation and CAR-T cell approaches, genome editors and oncolytic viruses. We consider viral vectors and nanoparticles for delivering optogenetic payloads and activating light to tumors. Finally, we highlight herein the prospects for integrating optogenetics into immunotherapy as a novel, fast, reversible and safe approach to cancer treatment.
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34
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Metabolite-based biosensors for natural product discovery and overproduction. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2022; 75:102699. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2022.102699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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35
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Guan N, Gao X, Ye H. Engineering of optogenetic devices for biomedical applications in mammalian synthetic biology. ENGINEERING BIOLOGY 2022; 6:35-49. [PMID: 36969102 PMCID: PMC9996731 DOI: 10.1049/enb2.12022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene- and cell-based therapies are the next frontiers in the field of medicine. Both are transformative and innovative therapies; however, a lack of safety data limits the translation of such promising technologies to the clinic. Improving the safety and promoting the clinical translation of these therapies can be achieved by tightly regulating the release and delivery of therapeutic outputs. In recent years, the rapid development of optogenetic technology has provided opportunities to develop precision-controlled gene- and cell-based therapies, in which light is introduced to precisely and spatiotemporally manipulate the behaviour of genes and cells. This review focuses on the development of optogenetic tools and their applications in biomedicine, including photoactivated genome engineering and phototherapy for diabetes and tumours. The prospects and challenges of optogenetic tools for future clinical applications are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ningzi Guan
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering LaboratoryBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Xianyun Gao
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering LaboratoryBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Haifeng Ye
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering LaboratoryBiomedical Synthetic Biology Research CenterShanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory BiologyInstitute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life SciencesEast China Normal UniversityShanghaiChina
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36
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Yang Z, Fok HKF, Luo J, Yang Y, Wang R, Huang X, Sun F. B 12-induced reassembly of split photoreceptor protein enables photoresponsive hydrogels with tunable mechanics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm5482. [PMID: 35363531 PMCID: PMC10938628 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Although the tools based on split proteins have found broad applications, ranging from controlled biological signaling to advanced molecular architectures, many of them suffer from drawbacks such as background reassembly, low thermodynamic stability, and static structural features. Here, we present a chemically inducible protein assembly method enabled by the dissection of the carboxyl-terminal domain of a B12-dependent photoreceptor, CarHC. The resulting segments reassemble efficiently upon addition of cobalamin (AdoB12, MeB12, or CNB12). Photolysis of the cofactors such as AdoB12 and MeB12 further leads to stable protein adducts harboring a bis-His-ligated B12. Split CarHC enables the creation of a series of protein hydrogels, of which the mechanics can be either photostrengthened or photoweakened, depending on the type of B12. These materials are also well suited for three dimensional cell culturing. Together, this new protein chemistry, featuring negligible background autoassembly, stable conjugation, and phototunability, has opened up opportunities for designing smart materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongguang Yang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hong Kiu Francis Fok
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Jiren Luo
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Ri Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xinyu Huang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Fei Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Greater Bay Biomedical InnoCenter, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518036, China
- Biomedical Research Institute, Shenzhen Peking University–The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Medical Center, Shenzhen 518036, China
- HKUST Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China
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37
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Hasanzadeh A, Noori H, Jahandideh A, Haeri Moghaddam N, Kamrani Mousavi SM, Nourizadeh H, Saeedi S, Karimi M, Hamblin MR. Smart Strategies for Precise Delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 in Genome Editing. ACS APPLIED BIO MATERIALS 2022; 5:413-437. [PMID: 35040621 DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.1c01112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of CRISPR/Cas technology has enabled scientists to precisely edit genomic DNA sequences. This approach can be used to modulate gene expression for the treatment of genetic disorders and incurable diseases such as cancer. This potent genome-editing tool is based on a single guide RNA (sgRNA) strand that recognizes the targeted DNA, plus a Cas nuclease protein for binding and processing the target. CRISPR/Cas has great potential for editing many genes in different types of cells and organisms both in vitro and in vivo. Despite these remarkable advances, the risk of off-target effects has hindered the translation of CRISPR/Cas technology into clinical applications. To overcome this hurdle, researchers have devised gene regulatory systems that can be controlled in a spatiotemporal manner, by designing special sgRNA, Cas, and CRISPR/Cas delivery vehicles that are responsive to different stimuli, such as temperature, light, magnetic fields, ultrasound (US), pH, redox, and enzymatic activity. These systems can even respond to dual or multiple stimuli simultaneously, thereby providing superior spatial and temporal control over CRISPR/Cas gene editing. Herein, we summarize the latest advances on smart sgRNA, Cas, and CRISPR/Cas nanocarriers, categorized according to their stimulus type (physical, chemical, or biological).
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Affiliation(s)
- Akbar Hasanzadeh
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Hamid Noori
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Atefeh Jahandideh
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Niloofar Haeri Moghaddam
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Seyede Mahtab Kamrani Mousavi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Helena Nourizadeh
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Sara Saeedi
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
| | - Mahdi Karimi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
- Research Center for Science and Technology in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 141556559, Iran
- Applied Biotechnology Research Centre, Tehran Medical Science, Islamic Azad University, Tehran 1584743311, Iran
| | - Michael R Hamblin
- Laser Research Centre, Faculty of Health Science, University of Johannesburg, Doornfontein 2028, South Africa
- Radiation Biology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1449614535, Iran
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38
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Zhang C, Shi Y, Wu L, Wang C, Liao N, Wang F, Zhao B, Wang Y, Liu X. Far-Red Light Triggered Production of Bispecific T Cell Engagers (BiTEs) from Engineered Cells for Antitumor Application. ACS Synth Biol 2022; 11:888-899. [PMID: 35113526 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.1c00523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Bispecific T-cell engagers (BiTEs), which have shown potent antitumor activity in humans, are emerging as one of the most promising immunotherapeutic strategies for cancer treatment in recent years. However, the clinical application of BiTEs nowadays has been hampered by their short half-life in the circulatory system due to their low molecular weight and rapid renal clearance. Inevitable continuous infusion of BiTEs has become a routine operation in order to achieve effective treatment, although it is costly, inconvenient, time-consuming, and even painful for patients in some cases. To develop an on-demand, tunable, and reversible approach to overcome these limitations, we assembled a transcription-control device into mammalian cells based on a bacterial far-red light (FRL) responsive signaling pathway to drive the expression of a BiTE against Glypican 3 (GPC3), which is a highly tumor-specific antigen expressed in most hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). As demonstrated in in vitro experiments, we proved that the FRL sensitive device spatiotemporally responded to the control of FRL illumination and produced a therapeutic level of BiTEs that recruited and activated human T cells to eliminate GPC3 positive tumor cells. By functionally harnessing the power of optogenetics to remotely regulate the production of BiTEs from bioengineered cells and demonstrating its effectiveness in treating tumor cells, this study provides a novel approach to achieve an in vivo supply of BiTEs, which could be potentially applied to other formats of bispecific antibodies and facilitate their clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuilin Zhang
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian Province, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
- The Liver Center of Fujian Province, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
| | - Yingjun Shi
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian Province, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
- The Liver Center of Fujian Province, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
| | - Lingjie Wu
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian Province, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
- The Liver Center of Fujian Province, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
| | - Chenyi Wang
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian Province, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
- The Liver Center of Fujian Province, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
| | - Naishun Liao
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian Province, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
- The Liver Center of Fujian Province, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
| | - Fei Wang
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian Province, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
- The Liver Center of Fujian Province, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
| | - Bixing Zhao
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian Province, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
- The Liver Center of Fujian Province, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
| | - Yingchao Wang
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian Province, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
- The Liver Center of Fujian Province, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- The United Innovation of Mengchao Hepatobiliary Technology Key Laboratory of Fujian Province, Mengchao Hepatobiliary Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
- The Liver Center of Fujian Province, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350025, PR China
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39
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Targeting Cancer with CRISPR/Cas9-Based Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23010573. [PMID: 35008996 PMCID: PMC8745084 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a devastating condition characterised by the uncontrolled division of cells with many forms remaining resistant to current treatment. A hallmark of cancer is the gradual accumulation of somatic mutations which drive tumorigenesis in cancerous cells, creating a mutation landscape distinctive to a cancer type, an individual patient or even a single tumour lesion. Gene editing with CRISPR/Cas9-based tools now enables the precise and permanent targeting of mutations and offers an opportunity to harness this technology to target oncogenic mutations. However, the development of safe and effective gene editing therapies for cancer relies on careful design to spare normal cells and avoid introducing other mutations. This article aims to describe recent advancements in cancer-selective treatments based on the CRISPR/Cas9 system, especially focusing on strategies for targeted delivery of the CRISPR/Cas9 machinery to affected cells, controlling Cas9 expression in tissues of interest and disrupting cancer-specific genes to result in selective death of malignant cells.
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40
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Tang K, Beyer HM, Zurbriggen MD, Gärtner W. The Red Edge: Bilin-Binding Photoreceptors as Optogenetic Tools and Fluorescence Reporters. Chem Rev 2021; 121:14906-14956. [PMID: 34669383 PMCID: PMC8707292 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This review adds the bilin-binding phytochromes to the Chemical Reviews thematic issue "Optogenetics and Photopharmacology". The work is structured into two parts. We first outline the photochemistry of the covalently bound tetrapyrrole chromophore and summarize relevant spectroscopic, kinetic, biochemical, and physiological properties of the different families of phytochromes. Based on this knowledge, we then describe the engineering of phytochromes to further improve these chromoproteins as photoswitches and review their employment in an ever-growing number of different optogenetic applications. Most applications rely on the light-controlled complex formation between the plant photoreceptor PhyB and phytochrome-interacting factors (PIFs) or C-terminal light-regulated domains with enzymatic functions present in many bacterial and algal phytochromes. Phytochrome-based optogenetic tools are currently implemented in bacteria, yeast, plants, and animals to achieve light control of a wide range of biological activities. These cover the regulation of gene expression, protein transport into cell organelles, and the recruitment of phytochrome- or PIF-tagged proteins to membranes and other cellular compartments. This compilation illustrates the intrinsic advantages of phytochromes compared to other photoreceptor classes, e.g., their bidirectional dual-wavelength control enabling instant ON and OFF regulation. In particular, the long wavelength range of absorption and fluorescence within the "transparent window" makes phytochromes attractive for complex applications requiring deep tissue penetration or dual-wavelength control in combination with blue and UV light-sensing photoreceptors. In addition to the wide variability of applications employing natural and engineered phytochromes, we also discuss recent progress in the development of bilin-based fluorescent proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Tang
- Institute
of Synthetic Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hannes M. Beyer
- Institute
of Synthetic Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Matias D. Zurbriggen
- Institute
of Synthetic Biology and CEPLAS, Heinrich-Heine-University
Düsseldorf, Universitätsstrasse
1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Gärtner
- Retired: Max Planck Institute
for Chemical Energy Conversion. At present: Institute for Analytical Chemistry, University
Leipzig, Linnéstrasse
3, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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41
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Wang X, Dong K, Kong D, Zhou Y, Yin J, Cai F, Wang M, Ye H. A far-red light-inducible CRISPR-Cas12a platform for remote-controlled genome editing and gene activation. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabh2358. [PMID: 34890237 PMCID: PMC8664267 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The CRISPR-Cas12a has been harnessed as a powerful tool for manipulating targeted gene expression. The possibility to manipulate the activity of CRISPR-Cas12a with a more precise spatiotemporal resolution and deep tissue permeability will enable targeted genome engineering and deepen our understanding of the gene functions underlying complex cellular behaviors. However, currently available inducible CRISPR-Cas12a systems are limited by diffusion, cytotoxicity, and poor tissue permeability. Here, we developed a far-red light (FRL)–inducible CRISPR-Cas12a (FICA) system that can robustly induce gene editing in mammalian cells, and an FRL-inducible CRISPR-dCas12a (FIdCA) system based on the protein-tagging system SUperNova (SunTag) that can be used for gene activation under light-emitting diode–based FRL. Moreover, we show that the FIdCA system can be deployed to activate target genes in mouse livers. These results demonstrate that these systems developed here provide robust and efficient platforms for programmable genome manipulation in a noninvasive and spatiotemporal fashion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Wang
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Kaili Dong
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Deqiang Kong
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Yang Zhou
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Jianli Yin
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
| | - Fengfeng Cai
- Department of Breast Surgery, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, 450 Tengyue Road, Shanghai 200090, China
| | - Meiyan Wang
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
- Corresponding author. (M.W.); (H.Y.)
| | - Haifeng Ye
- Synthetic Biology and Biomedical Engineering Laboratory, Biomedical Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Regulatory Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences and School of Life Sciences, East China Normal University, Dongchuan Road 500, Shanghai 200241, China
- Corresponding author. (M.W.); (H.Y.)
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42
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Yan X, Pan Q, Xin H, Chen Y, Ping Y. Genome-editing prodrug: Targeted delivery and conditional stabilization of CRISPR-Cas9 for precision therapy of inflammatory disease. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj0624. [PMID: 34878850 PMCID: PMC8654308 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj0624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Regulation of CRISPR-Cas9 functions in vivo is conducive to developing precise therapeutic genome editing. Here, we report a CRISPR-Cas9 prodrug nanosystem (termed NanoProCas9), which combines the targeted delivery and the conditional activation of CRISPR-Cas9 for the precision therapy of inflammatory bowel disease. NanoProCas9 is composed of (i) cationic poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) capable of complexing plasmid DNA encoding destabilized Cas9 (dsCas9) nuclease, (ii) a layer of biomimetic cell membrane coated on PBAE/plasmid nanocomplexes for the targeted delivery of PBAE/dsCas9 complexes, and (iii) the stimuli-responsive precursory molecules anchored on the exofacial membrane. The systemic administration of NanoProCas9 enables the targeted delivery of dsCas9 plasmid into inflammatory lesions, where the precursory small molecule can be activated by ROS signals to stabilize expressed dsCas9, thereby activating Cas9 function for inflammatory genome editing. The proposed “genome-editing prodrug” presents a proof-of-concept example to precisely regulate CRISPR-Cas9 functions by virtue of particular pathological stimuli in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaojie Yan
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Qi Pan
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Huhu Xin
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuxuan Chen
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yuan Ping
- College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- Corresponding author.
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Moradi P, Hasanzadeh A, Radmanesh F, Rajai Daryasarei S, Hosseini ES, Kiani J, Shahbazi A, Nourizadeh H, Eslami M, Dorgalaleh A, Sahlolbei M, Hamblin MR, Karimi M. Smart arginine-equipped polycationic nanoparticles for p/CRISPR delivery into cells. NANOTECHNOLOGY 2021; 33:075104. [PMID: 34727527 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6528/ac357a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
An efficient and safe delivery system for the transfection of CRISPR plasmid (p/CRISPR) into target cells can open new avenues for the treatment of various diseases. Herein, we design a novel nonvehicle by integrating an arginine-disulfide linker with low-molecular-weight PEI (PEI1.8k) for the delivery of p/CRISPR. These PEI1.8k-Arg nanoparticles facilitate the plasmid release and improve both membrane permeability and nuclear localization, thereby exhibiting higher transfection efficiency compared to native PEI1.8kin the delivery of nanocomplexes composed of PEI1.8k-Arg and p/CRISPR into conventional cells (HEK 293T). This nanovehicle is also able to transfect p/CRISPR in a wide variety of cells, including hard-to-transfect primary cells (HUVECs), cancer cells (HeLa), and neuronal cells (PC-12) with nearly 5-10 times higher efficiency compared to the polymeric gold standard transfection agent. Furthermore, the PEI1.8k-Arg nanoparticles can edit the GFP gene in the HEK 293T-GFP reporter cell line by delivering all possible forms of CRISPR/Cas9 system (e.g. plasmid encoding Cas9 and sgRNA targeting GFP, and Cas9/sgRNA ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) as well as Cas9 expression plasmid andin vitro-prepared sgRNA) into HEK 293T-GFP cells. The successful delivery of p/CRISPR into local brain tissue is also another remarkable capability of these nanoparticles. In view of all the exceptional benefits of this safe nanocarrier, it is expected to break new ground in the field of gene editing, particularly for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pardis Moradi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akbar Hasanzadeh
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Radmanesh
- Uro-Oncology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Cell Engineering, Cell Science Research Center, Royan Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saideh Rajai Daryasarei
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elaheh Sadat Hosseini
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jafar Kiani
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Shahbazi
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Helena Nourizadeh
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Eslami
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
- Applied Biotechnology Research Center, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Akbar Dorgalaleh
- Department of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, School of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Sahlolbei
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Michael R Hamblin
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Mahdi Karimi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Advanced Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine Research Group (ANNRG), Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Research Center for Science and Technology in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
- Applied Biotechnology Research Centre, Tehran Medical Science, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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Self-organization of human dorsal-ventral forebrain structures by light induced SHH. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6768. [PMID: 34799555 PMCID: PMC8604999 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26881-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Organizing centers secrete morphogens that specify the emergence of germ layers and the establishment of the body's axes during embryogenesis. While traditional experimental embryology tools have been instrumental in dissecting the molecular aspects of organizers in model systems, they are impractical in human in-vitro model systems to dissect the relationships between signaling and fate along embryonic coordinates. To systematically study human embryonic organizer centers, we devised a collection of optogenetic ePiggyBac vectors to express a photoactivatable Cre-loxP recombinase, that allows the systematic induction of organizer structures by shining blue-light on human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). We used a light stimulus to geometrically confine SHH expression in neuralizing hESCs. This led to the self-organization of mediolateral neural patterns. scRNA-seq analysis established that these structures represent the dorsal-ventral forebrain, at the end of the first month of development. Here, we show that morphogen light-stimulation is a scalable tool that induces self-organizing centers.
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Yan T, Yang K, Chen C, Zhou Z, Shen P, Jia Y, Xue Y, Zhang Z, Shen X, Han X. Synergistic photothermal cancer immunotherapy by Cas9 ribonucleoprotein-based copper sulfide nanotherapeutic platform targeting PTPN2. Biomaterials 2021; 279:121233. [PMID: 34749073 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.121233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Photothermal therapy (PTT) is a promising strategy for the treatment of advanced malignant neoplasm. However, the anti-tumor efficacy by PTT alone is insufficient to control tumor growth and metastasis. Here, we report a multifunctional nanotherapeutic system exerting a combined PTT and immunotherapy to synergistically enhance the therapeutic effect on melanoma. In particular, we selected the semiconductor nanomaterial copper sulfide (CuS), which served not only as a near-infrared (NIR) light-triggered photothermal converter for tumor hyperthermia but as a basic carrier to modify Cas9 ribonucleoprotein targeting PTPN2 on its surface. Efficient PTPN2 depletion was observed after the treatment of CuS-RNP@PEI nanoparticles, which caused the accumulation of intratumoral infiltrating CD8 T lymphocytes in tumor-bearing mice and upregulated the expression levels of IFN-ᵧ and TNF-α in tumor tissue, thus sensitizing tumors to immunotherapy. In addition, the effect worked synergistically with tumor ablation and immunogenic cell death (ICD) induced by PTT to amplify anti-tumor efficacy. Taken together, this exogenously controlled method provides a simple and effective treatment option for advanced malignant neoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Yan
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Kaiyong Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Chao Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhiruo Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Peiliang Shen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yuanyuan Jia
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yu Xue
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xu Shen
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Xin Han
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine & Holistic Integrative Medicine, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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Strategies for genetic manipulation of adult stem cell-derived organoids. Exp Mol Med 2021; 53:1483-1494. [PMID: 34663937 PMCID: PMC8569115 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-021-00609-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 02/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Organoid technology allows the expansion of primary epithelial cells from normal and diseased tissues, providing a unique model for human (patho)biology. In a three-dimensional environment, adult stem cells self-organize and differentiate to gain tissue-specific features. Accessibility to genetic manipulation enables the investigation of the molecular mechanisms underlying cell fate regulation, cell differentiation and cell interactions. In recent years, powerful methodologies using lentiviral transgenesis, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, and single-cell readouts have been developed to study gene function and carry out genetic screens in organoids. However, the multicellularity and dynamic nature of stem cell-derived organoids also present challenges for genetic experimentation. In this review, we focus on adult gastrointestinal organoids and summarize the state-of-the-art protocols for successful transgenesis. We provide an outlook on emerging genetic techniques that could further increase the applicability of organoids and enhance the potential of organoid-based techniques to deepen our understanding of gene function in tissue biology.
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47
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Briquet S, Gissot M, Silvie O. A toolbox for conditional control of gene expression in apicomplexan parasites. Mol Microbiol 2021; 117:618-631. [PMID: 34564906 PMCID: PMC9293482 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Apicomplexan parasites encompass diverse pathogens for humans and animals, including the causative agents of malaria and toxoplasmosis, Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii. Genetic manipulation of these parasites has become central to explore parasite biology, unravel gene function and identify new targets for therapeutic strategies. Tremendous progress has been achieved over the past years with the advent of next generation sequencing and powerful genome editing methods. In particular, various methods for conditional gene expression have been developed in both Plasmodium and Toxoplasma to knockout or knockdown essential genes, or for inducible expression of master developmental regulators or mutant versions of proteins. Conditional gene expression can be achieved at three distinct levels. At the DNA level, inducible site‐specific recombinases allow conditional genome editing. At the RNA level, regulation can be achieved during transcription, using stage‐specific or regulatable promoters, or post‐transcriptionally through alteration of mRNA stability or translation. At the protein level, several systems have been developed for inducible degradation or displacement of a protein of interest. In this review, we provide an overview of current systems for conditional control of gene expression in Plasmodium and Toxoplasma parasites, highlighting the advantages and limitations of each approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvie Briquet
- INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Mathieu Gissot
- CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, CIIL, Univ. Lille, Lille, France
| | - Olivier Silvie
- INSERM, CNRS, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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48
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González Castro N, Bjelic J, Malhotra G, Huang C, Alsaffar SH. Comparison of the Feasibility, Efficiency, and Safety of Genome Editing Technologies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10355. [PMID: 34638696 PMCID: PMC8509008 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in programmable nucleases including meganucleases (MNs), zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-Cas (CRISPR-Cas) have propelled genome editing from explorative research to clinical and industrial settings. Each technology, however, features distinct modes of action that unevenly impact their applicability across the entire genome and are often tested under significantly different conditions. While CRISPR-Cas is currently leading the field due to its versatility, quick adoption, and high degree of support, it is not without limitations. Currently, no technology can be regarded as ideal or even applicable to every case as the context dictates the best approach for genetic modification within a target organism. In this review, we implement a four-pillar framework (context, feasibility, efficiency, and safety) to assess the main genome editing platforms, as a basis for rational decision-making by an expanding base of users, regulators, and consumers. Beyond carefully considering their specific use case with the assessment framework proposed here, we urge stakeholders interested in genome editing to independently validate the parameters of their chosen platform prior to commitment. Furthermore, safety across all applications, particularly in clinical settings, is a paramount consideration and comprehensive off-target detection strategies should be incorporated within workflows to address this. Often neglected aspects such as immunogenicity and the inadvertent selection of mutants deficient for DNA repair pathways must also be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás González Castro
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia; (N.G.C.); (G.M.); (C.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Jan Bjelic
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia; (N.G.C.); (G.M.); (C.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Gunya Malhotra
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia; (N.G.C.); (G.M.); (C.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Cong Huang
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia; (N.G.C.); (G.M.); (C.H.); (S.H.A.)
| | - Salman Hasan Alsaffar
- School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3052, Australia; (N.G.C.); (G.M.); (C.H.); (S.H.A.)
- Biotechnology Department, Environment and Life Sciences Research Center, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Shuwaikh 13109, Kuwait
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Manoilov KY, Verkhusha VV, Shcherbakova DM. A guide to the optogenetic regulation of endogenous molecules. Nat Methods 2021; 18:1027-1037. [PMID: 34446923 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-021-01240-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Genetically encoded tools for the regulation of endogenous molecules (RNA, DNA elements and protein) are needed to study and control biological processes with minimal interference caused by protein overexpression and overactivation of signaling pathways. Here we focus on light-controlled optogenetic tools (OTs) that allow spatiotemporally precise regulation of gene expression and protein function. To control endogenous molecules, OTs combine light-sensing modules from natural photoreceptors with specific protein or nucleic acid binders. We discuss OT designs and group OTs according to the principles of their regulation. We outline characteristics of OT performance, discuss considerations for their use in vivo and review available OTs and their applications in cells and in vivo. Finally, we provide a brief outlook on the development of OTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyrylo Yu Manoilov
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology and Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Vladislav V Verkhusha
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology and Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA. .,Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. .,Science Center for Genetics and Life Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia.
| | - Daria M Shcherbakova
- Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology and Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
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50
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Constructing Smartphone-Controlled Optogenetic Switches in Mammalian Cells. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 34228288 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1441-9_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
With the increasing indispensable role of smartphones in our daily lives, the mobile health care system coupled with embedded physical sensors and modern communication technologies make it an attractive technology for enabling the remote monitoring of an individual's health. Using a multidisciplinary design principle coupled with smart electronics, software, and optogenetics, the investigators constructed smartphone-controlled optogenetic switches to enable the ultraremote-control transgene expression. A custom-designed SmartController system was programmed to process wireless signals from smartphones, enabling the regulation of therapeutic outputs production by optically engineered cells via a far-red light (FRL)-responsive optogenetic interface. In the present study, the investigators describe the details of the protocols for constructing smartphone-controlled optogenetic switches, including the rational design of an FRL-triggered transgene expression circuit, the procedure for cell culture and transfection, the implementation of the smartphone-controlled far-red light-emitting diode (LED) module, and the reporter detection assay.
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