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Hwang G, Kwon M, Seo D, Kim DH, Lee D, Lee K, Kim E, Kang M, Ryu JH. ASOptimizer: Optimizing antisense oligonucleotides through deep learning for IDO1 gene regulation. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102186. [PMID: 38706632 PMCID: PMC11066473 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2024.102186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Recent studies have highlighted the effectiveness of using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) for cellular RNA regulation, including targets that are considered undruggable; however, manually designing optimal ASO sequences can be labor intensive and time consuming, which potentially limits their broader application. To address this challenge, we introduce a platform, the ASOptimizer, a deep-learning-based framework that efficiently designs ASOs at a low cost. This platform not only selects the most efficient mRNA target sites but also optimizes the chemical modifications for enhanced performance. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) promotes cancer survival by depleting tryptophan and producing kynurenine, leading to immunosuppression through the aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) pathway within the tumor microenvironment. We used ASOptimizer to identify ASOs that target IDO1 mRNA as potential cancer therapeutics. Our methodology consists of two stages: sequence engineering and chemical engineering. During the sequence-engineering stage, we optimized and predicted ASO sequences that could target IDO1 mRNA efficiently. In the chemical-engineering stage, we further refined these ASOs to enhance their inhibitory activity while reducing their potential cytotoxicity. In conclusion, our research demonstrates the potential of ASOptimizer for identifying ASOs with improved efficacy and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gyeongjo Hwang
- Spidercore Inc, 17, Techno 4-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34013, South Korea
| | - Mincheol Kwon
- BIORCHESTRA Co., Ltd., 17, Techno 4-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34013, South Korea
| | - Dongjin Seo
- Spidercore Inc, 17, Techno 4-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34013, South Korea
| | - Dae Hoon Kim
- BIORCHESTRA Co., Ltd., 17, Techno 4-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34013, South Korea
| | - Daehwan Lee
- Spidercore Inc, 17, Techno 4-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34013, South Korea
| | - Kiwon Lee
- Spidercore Inc, 17, Techno 4-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34013, South Korea
| | - Eunyoung Kim
- BIORCHESTRA Co., Ltd., 17, Techno 4-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34013, South Korea
| | - Mingeun Kang
- Spidercore Inc, 17, Techno 4-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34013, South Korea
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34141, South Korea
| | - Jin-Hyeob Ryu
- BIORCHESTRA Co., Ltd., 17, Techno 4-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34013, South Korea
- BIORCHESTRA US., Inc., 1 Kendall Square, Building 200, Suite 2-103, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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2
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Mahmoudzadeh Laki R, Pourbasheer E. 3D-QSAR Modeling on 2-Pyrimidine Carbohydrazides as Utrophin Modulators for the Treatment of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by Combining CoMFA, CoMSIA, and Molecular Docking Studies. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:24707-24720. [PMID: 38882130 PMCID: PMC11171099 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.4c01225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
The 3D-QSAR models were developed using CoMFA and CoMSIA techniques to investigate essential molecular fields, optimization strategies, and structure-activity relationships for utrophin-modulating compounds. The data set (71 molecules) was divided into two training and test sets using the hierarchical clustering approach. The training set was aligned based on the most active compound. The built and optimized models based on the PLS approach provided acceptable results. The results were q 2 = 0.528 and r 2 = 0.776 for CoMFA and q 2 = 0.600 and r 2 = 0.811 for CoMSIA models. According to the statistical results, it was found that both the CoMFA models with and without regional focusing and also the CoMSIA model have good estimation ability. Molecular docking was also performed with high-activity compounds (as ligands) and target receptors (protein), and its results, together with the results of 3D-QSAR, give new insights for the design of compounds with higher biological activity. Finally, based on the overall results, the design of new compounds with higher utrophin modulation activity was carried out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Mahmoudzadeh Laki
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, P.O. Box 179, Ardabil 56199-11367, Iran
| | - Eslam Pourbasheer
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, P.O. Box 179, Ardabil 56199-11367, Iran
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3
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Alizadeh F, Abraghan YJ, Farrokhi S, Yousefi Y, Mirahmadi Y, Eslahi A, Mojarrad M. Production of Duchenne muscular dystrophy cellular model using CRISPR-Cas9 exon deletion strategy. Mol Cell Biochem 2024; 479:1027-1040. [PMID: 37289342 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-023-04759-3] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) is a progressive muscle wasting disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the dystrophin gene. Although the search for a definitive cure has failed to date, extensive efforts have been made to introduce effective therapeutic strategies. Gene editing technology is a great revolution in biology, having an immediate application in the generation of research models. DMD muscle cell lines are reliable sources to evaluate and optimize therapeutic strategies, in-depth study of DMD pathology, and screening the effective drugs. However, only a few immortalized muscle cell lines with DMD mutations are available. In addition, obtaining muscle cells from patients also requires an invasive muscle biopsy. Mostly DMD variants are rare, making it challenging to identify a patient with a particular mutation for a muscle biopsy. To overcome these challenges and generate myoblast cultures, we optimized a CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing approach to model the most common DMD mutations that include approximately 28.2% of patients. GAP-PCR and sequencing results show the ability of the CRISPR-Cas9 system to efficient deletion of mentioned exons. We showed producing truncated transcript due to the targeted deletion by RT-PCR and sequencing. Finally, mutation-induced disruption of dystrophin protein expression was confirmed by western blotting. All together, we successfully created four immortalized DMD muscle cell lines and showed the efficacy of the CRISPR-Cas9 system for the generation of immortalized DMD cell models with the targeted deletions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farzaneh Alizadeh
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Yousef Jafari Abraghan
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Shima Farrokhi
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Yasamin Yousefi
- Department of Biochemistry, Mashhad University of Ferdowsi, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Yeganeh Mirahmadi
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Atieh Eslahi
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Majid Mojarrad
- Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Genetic Center of Khorasan Razavi, Mashhad, Iran.
- Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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4
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Watanabe N, Tone Y, Nagata T, Masuda S, Saito T, Motohashi N, Takagaki K, Aoki Y, Takeda S. Exon 44 skipping in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: NS-089/NCNP-02, a dual-targeting antisense oligonucleotide. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2023; 34:102034. [PMID: 37854955 PMCID: PMC10579524 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.102034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Exon-skipping therapy mediated by antisense oligonucleotides is expected to provide a therapeutic option for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Antisense oligonucleotides for exon skipping reported so far target a single continuous sequence in or around the target exon. In the present study, we investigated antisense oligonucleotides for exon 44 skipping (applicable to approximately 6% of all Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients) to improve activity by using a novel antisense oligonucleotide design incorporating two connected sequences. Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers targeting two separate sequences in exon 44 were created to target two splicing regulators in exon 44 simultaneously, and their exon 44 skipping was measured. NS-089/NCNP-02 showed the highest skipping activity among the oligomers. NS-089/NCNP-02 also induced exon 44 skipping and dystrophin protein expression in cells from a Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient to whom exon 44 skipping is applicable. We also assessed the in vivo activity of NS-089/NCNP-02 by intravenous administration to cynomolgus monkeys. NS-089/NCNP-02 induced exon 44 skipping in skeletal and cardiac muscle of cynomolgus monkeys. In conclusion, NS-089/NCNP-02, an antisense oligonucleotide with a novel connected-sequence design, showed highly efficient exon skipping both in vitro and in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Watanabe
- Discovery Research Laboratories in Tsukuba, Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Tone
- Discovery Research Laboratories in Tsukuba, Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Nagata
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Satoru Masuda
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Takashi Saito
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Norio Motohashi
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuchika Takagaki
- Discovery Research Laboratories in Tsukuba, Nippon Shinyaku Co., Ltd, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Yoshitsugu Aoki
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin’ichi Takeda
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
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5
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Zhu A, Chiba S, Shimizu Y, Kunitake K, Okuno Y, Aoki Y, Yokota T. Ensemble-Learning and Feature Selection Techniques for Enhanced Antisense Oligonucleotide Efficacy Prediction in Exon Skipping. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:1808. [PMID: 37513994 PMCID: PMC10384346 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15071808] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-mediated exon skipping has become a valuable tool for investigating gene function and developing gene therapy. Machine-learning-based computational methods, such as eSkip-Finder, have been developed to predict the efficacy of ASOs via exon skipping. However, these methods are computationally demanding, and the accuracy of predictions remains suboptimal. In this study, we propose a new approach to reduce the computational burden and improve the prediction performance by using feature selection within machine-learning algorithms and ensemble-learning techniques. We evaluated our approach using a dataset of experimentally validated exon-skipping events, dividing it into training and testing sets. Our results demonstrate that using a three-way-voting approach with random forest, gradient boosting, and XGBoost can significantly reduce the computation time to under ten seconds while improving prediction performance, as measured by R2 for both 2'-O-methyl nucleotides (2OMe) and phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs). Additionally, the feature importance ranking derived from our approach is in good agreement with previously published results. Our findings suggest that our approach has the potential to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of predicting ASO efficacy via exon skipping. It could also facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies. This study could contribute to the ongoing efforts to improve ASO design and optimize gene therapy approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Zhu
- Phillips Academy, Andover, MA 01810, USA
- Department of Medical Generics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Shuntaro Chiba
- HPC- and AI-Driven Drug Development Platform Division, RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Yuki Shimizu
- Department of Biomedical Data Intelligence, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Kunitake
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan
| | - Yasushi Okuno
- HPC- and AI-Driven Drug Development Platform Division, RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
- Department of Biomedical Data Intelligence, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yoshitsugu Aoki
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Generics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
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6
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Echigoya Y, Yokota T. Restoring Dystrophin Expression with Exon 44 and 53 Skipping in the DMD Gene in Immortalized Myotubes. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2587:125-139. [PMID: 36401027 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2772-3_7] [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] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO)-mediated exon skipping is a therapeutic approach that applies to many Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients harboring out-of-frame deletion mutations in the DMD gene. In particular, PMOs for skipping exon 44 have been developing in clinical trials, such as the drug NS-089/NCNP-02. Two exon 53 skipping PMOs, golodirsen and viltolarsen, have received conditional approval for treating patients due to their ability to restore dystrophin protein expression. Although promising, further development of exon-skipping technology is needed for patients to have more therapeutic benefit. This chapter describes evaluation methods of exon 44 and 53 skipping PMOs in immortalized DMD patient-derived skeletal muscle cells. We introduce how to quantify exon-skipping efficiencies and dystrophin rescue levels represented by RT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. The screening methods using immortalized patient myotubes can serve to find exon-skipping PMO drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Echigoya
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan.
- Nihon University Veterinary Research Center, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan.
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research & Muscular Dystrophy Canada, HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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7
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Lasa-Elgarresta J, Mosqueira-Martín L, González-Imaz K, Marco-Moreno P, Gerenu G, Mamchaoui K, Mouly V, López de Munain A, Vallejo-Illarramendi A. Targeting the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System in Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy With CAPN3 Mutations. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:822563. [PMID: 35309930 PMCID: PMC8924035 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.822563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
LGMDR1 is caused by mutations in the CAPN3 gene that encodes calpain 3 (CAPN3), a non-lysosomal cysteine protease necessary for proper muscle function. Our previous findings show that CAPN3 deficiency leads to reduced SERCA levels through increased protein degradation. This work investigates the potential contribution of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway to increased SERCA degradation in LGMDR1. Consistent with our previous results, we observed that CAPN3-deficient human myotubes exhibit reduced SERCA protein levels and high cytosolic calcium concentration. Treatment with the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (Velcade) increased SERCA2 protein levels and normalized intracellular calcium levels in CAPN3-deficient myotubes. Moreover, bortezomib was able to recover mutated CAPN3 protein in a patient carrying R289W and R546L missense mutations. We found that CAPN3 knockout mice (C3KO) presented SERCA deficits in skeletal muscle in the early stages of the disease, prior to the manifestation of muscle deficits. However, treatment with bortezomib (0.8 mg/kg every 72 h) for 3 weeks did not rescue SERCA levels. No change in muscle proteasome activity was observed in bortezomib-treated animals, suggesting that higher bortezomib doses are needed to rescue SERCA levels in this model. Overall, our results lay the foundation for exploring inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome as a new therapeutic target to treat LGMDR1 patients. Moreover, patients carrying missense mutations in CAPN3 and presumably other genes may benefit from proteasome inhibition by rescuing mutant protein levels. Further studies in suitable models will be necessary to demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of proteasome inhibition for different missense mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaione Lasa-Elgarresta
- Group of Neuroscience, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, Hospital Donostia, UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain.,IIS Biodonostia, Neurosciences Area, Group of Neuromuscular Diseases, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Laura Mosqueira-Martín
- Group of Neuroscience, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, Hospital Donostia, UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain.,IIS Biodonostia, Neurosciences Area, Group of Neuromuscular Diseases, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Klaudia González-Imaz
- IIS Biodonostia, Neurosciences Area, Group of Neuromuscular Diseases, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Pablo Marco-Moreno
- IIS Biodonostia, Neurosciences Area, Group of Neuromuscular Diseases, San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Gorka Gerenu
- IIS Biodonostia, Neurosciences Area, Group of Neuromuscular Diseases, San Sebastian, Spain.,CIBERNED, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain
| | - Kamel Mamchaoui
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Mouly
- Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut de Myologie, Centre de Recherche en Myologie, Paris, France
| | - Adolfo López de Munain
- Group of Neuroscience, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, Hospital Donostia, UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain.,IIS Biodonostia, Neurosciences Area, Group of Neuromuscular Diseases, San Sebastian, Spain.,CIBERNED, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ainara Vallejo-Illarramendi
- Group of Neuroscience, Departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, Hospital Donostia, UPV/EHU, San Sebastian, Spain.,IIS Biodonostia, Neurosciences Area, Group of Neuromuscular Diseases, San Sebastian, Spain.,CIBERNED, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Madrid, Spain
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8
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In Silico Investigation of Some Compounds from the N-Butanol Extract of Centaurea tougourensis Boiss. & Reut. CRYSTALS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/cryst12030355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Bioinformatics as a newly emerging discipline is considered nowadays a reference to characterize the physicochemical and pharmacological properties of the actual biocompounds contained in plants, which has helped the pharmaceutical industry a lot in the drug development process. In this study, a bioinformatics approach known as in silico was performed to predict, for the first time, the physicochemical properties, ADMET profile, pharmacological capacities, cytotoxicity, and nervous system macromolecular targets, as well as the gene expression profiles, of four compounds recently identified from Centaurea tougourensis via the gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) approach. Thus, four compounds were tested from the n-butanol (n-BuOH) extract of this plant, named, respectively, Acridin-9-amine, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-5,7-dimethyl- (compound 1), 3-[2,3-Dihydro-2,2-dimethylbenzofuran-7-yl]-5-methoxy-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2(3H)-one (compound 2), 9,9-Dimethoxybicyclo[3.3.1]nona-2,4-dione (compound 3), and 3-[3-Bromophenyl]-7-chloro-3,4-dihydro-10-hydroxy-1,9(2H,10H)-acridinedione (compound 4). The insilico investigation revealed that the four tested compounds could be a good candidate to regulate the expression of key genes and may also exert significant cytotoxic effects against several tumor celllines. In addition, these compounds could also be effective in the treatment of some diseases related to diabetes, skin pathologies, cardiovascular, and central nervous system disorders. The bioactive compounds of plant remain the best alternative in the context of the drug discovery and development process.
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Development of DG9 peptide-conjugated single- and multi-exon skipping therapies for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2112546119. [PMID: 35193974 PMCID: PMC8892351 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112546119] [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] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal disorder of progressive body-wide muscle weakness, considered the most common muscular dystrophy worldwide. Most patients have out-of-frame deletions in the DMD gene, leading to dystrophin absence in muscle. There is no cure for DMD, but exon skipping is emerging as a potential therapy that uses antisense oligonucleotides to convert out-of-frame to in-frame mutations, enabling the production of truncated, partially functional dystrophin. Currently approved exon skipping therapies, however, have limited applicability and efficacy. Here, we developed a more economical approach to skip DMD exons 45 to 55 (a strategy that could treat nearly half of all DMD patients) and identified DG9 peptide conjugation as a powerful way to improve exon skipping efficiencies in vivo. Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is primarily caused by out-of-frame deletions in the dystrophin gene. Exon skipping using phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) converts out-of-frame to in-frame mutations, producing partially functional dystrophin. Four single-exon skipping PMOs are approved for DMD but treat only 8 to 14% of patients each, and some exhibit poor efficacy. Alternatively, exons 45 to 55 skipping could treat 40 to 47% of all patients and is associated with improved clinical outcomes. Here, we report the development of peptide-conjugated PMOs for exons 45 to 55 skipping. Experiments with immortalized patient myotubes revealed that exons 45 to 55 could be skipped by targeting as few as five exons. We also found that conjugating DG9, a cell-penetrating peptide, to PMOs improved single-exon 51 skipping, dystrophin restoration, and muscle function in hDMDdel52;mdx mice. Local administration of a minimized exons 45 to 55–skipping DG9-PMO mixture restored dystrophin production. This study provides proof of concept toward the development of a more economical and effective exons 45 to 55–skipping DMD therapy.
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10
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A Dystrophin Exon-52 Deleted Miniature Pig Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Evaluation of Exon Skipping. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms222313065. [PMID: 34884867 PMCID: PMC8657897 DOI: 10.3390/ijms222313065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal X-linked recessive disorder caused by mutations in the DMD gene and the subsequent lack of dystrophin protein. Recently, phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO)-antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting exon 51 or 53 to reestablish the DMD reading frame have received regulatory approval as commercially available drugs. However, their applicability and efficacy remain limited to particular patients. Large animal models and exon skipping evaluation are essential to facilitate ASO development together with a deeper understanding of dystrophinopathies. Using recombinant adeno-associated virus-mediated gene targeting and somatic cell nuclear transfer, we generated a Yucatan miniature pig model of DMD with an exon 52 deletion mutation equivalent to one of the most common mutations seen in patients. Exon 52-deleted mRNA expression and dystrophin deficiency were confirmed in the skeletal and cardiac muscles of DMD pigs. Accordingly, dystrophin-associated proteins failed to be recruited to the sarcolemma. The DMD pigs manifested early disease onset with severe bodywide skeletal muscle degeneration and with poor growth accompanied by a physical abnormality, but with no obvious cardiac phenotype. We also demonstrated that in primary DMD pig skeletal muscle cells, the genetically engineered exon-52 deleted pig DMD gene enables the evaluation of exon 51 or 53 skipping with PMO and its advanced technology, peptide-conjugated PMO. The results show that the DMD pigs developed here can be an appropriate large animal model for evaluating in vivo exon skipping efficacy.
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11
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Hare J, Fiore-Gartland A, McGowan E, Hunter E, Gilmour J, Nielsen M. Selective HLA restriction enables the evaluation and interpretation of immunogenic breadth at comparable levels to that observed with broader HLA distribution. Proteomics 2021; 21:e2100121. [PMID: 34275199 DOI: 10.1002/pmic.202100121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Existing approaches to identifying predictive T-cell epitopes have traditionally utilized either 2-digit HLA super-families or more commonly utilizing autologous HLA alleles to facilitate the predictions. However, the use of these criteria may not consider the HLA representation within any target population. Here we propose a modification to concept of utilizing autologous HLA whereby subsets of individuals are selected for their specific HLA allele profiles and the representation they provide within a given population. Using this selective approach to HLA selection and the linkages to specific individuals may enable the design of more targeted experimentalstrategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Hare
- International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, New York, New York, USA.,IAVI Human Immunology Laboratory, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Andrew Fiore-Gartland
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Edward McGowan
- IAVI Human Immunology Laboratory, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Eric Hunter
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jill Gilmour
- Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College, London, UK
| | - Morten Nielsen
- Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
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12
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Chiba S, Lim KRQ, Sheri N, Anwar S, Erkut E, Shah MNA, Aslesh T, Woo S, Sheikh O, Maruyama R, Takano H, Kunitake K, Duddy W, Okuno Y, Aoki Y, Yokota T. eSkip-Finder: a machine learning-based web application and database to identify the optimal sequences of antisense oligonucleotides for exon skipping. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 49:W193-W198. [PMID: 34104972 PMCID: PMC8265194 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Exon skipping using antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) has recently proven to be a powerful tool for mRNA splicing modulation. Several exon-skipping ASOs have been approved to treat genetic diseases worldwide. However, a significant challenge is the difficulty in selecting an optimal sequence for exon skipping. The efficacy of ASOs is often unpredictable, because of the numerous factors involved in exon skipping. To address this gap, we have developed a computational method using machine-learning algorithms that factors in many parameters as well as experimental data to design highly effective ASOs for exon skipping. eSkip-Finder (https://eskip-finder.org) is the first web-based resource for helping researchers identify effective exon skipping ASOs. eSkip-Finder features two sections: (i) a predictor of the exon skipping efficacy of novel ASOs and (ii) a database of exon skipping ASOs. The predictor facilitates rapid analysis of a given set of exon/intron sequences and ASO lengths to identify effective ASOs for exon skipping based on a machine learning model trained by experimental data. We confirmed that predictions correlated well with in vitro skipping efficacy of sequences that were not included in the training data. The database enables users to search for ASOs using queries such as gene name, species, and exon number.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuntaro Chiba
- HPC- and AI-driven Drug Development Platform Division, RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Kenji Rowel Q Lim
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 8613-114 St, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Narin Sheri
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 8613-114 St, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Saeed Anwar
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 8613-114 St, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Esra Erkut
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 8613-114 St, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Md Nur Ahad Shah
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 8613-114 St, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Tejal Aslesh
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 8613-114 St, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Stanley Woo
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 8613-114 St, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Omar Sheikh
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 8613-114 St, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Rika Maruyama
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 8613-114 St, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Hiroaki Takano
- HPC- and AI-driven Drug Development Platform Division, RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Kunitake
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan
| | - William Duddy
- Northern Ireland Center for Stratified Medicine, Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, C-TRIC, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry BT47 6SB, UK
| | - Yasushi Okuno
- HPC- and AI-driven Drug Development Platform Division, RIKEN Center for Computational Science, Yokohama 230-0045, Japan.,Department of Biomedical Data Intelligence, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan
| | - Yoshitsugu Aoki
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP), Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8551, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, 8613-114 St, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Maruyama R, Yokota T. Antisense Oligonucleotide Treatment in a Humanized Mouse Model of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and Highly Sensitive Detection of Dystrophin Using Western Blotting. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2224:203-214. [PMID: 33606217 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1008-4_15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating X-linked muscle disorder affecting many children. The disease is caused by the lack of dystrophin production and characterized by muscle wasting. The most common causes of death are respiratory failure and heart failure. Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated exon skipping using a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) is a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of DMD. In preclinical studies, dystrophic mouse models are commonly used for the development of therapeutic oligos. We employ a humanized model carrying the full-length human DMD transgene along with the complete knockout of the mouse Dmd gene. In this model, the effects of human-targeting AOs can be tested without cross-reaction between mouse sequences and human sequences (note that mdx, a conventional dystrophic mouse model, carries a nonsense point mutation in exon 23 and express the full-length mouse Dmd mRNA, which is a significant complicating factor). To determine if dystrophin expression is restored, the Western blotting analysis is commonly performed; however, due to the extremely large protein size of dystrophin (427 kDa), detection and accurate quantification of full-length dystrophin can be a challenge. Here, we present methodologies to systemically inject PMOs into humanized DMD model mice and determine levels of dystrophin restoration via Western blotting. Using a tris-acetate gradient SDS gel and semi-dry transfer with three buffers, including the Concentrated Anode Buffer, Anode Buffer, and Cathode Buffer, less than 1% normal levels of dystrophin expression are easily detectable. This method is fast, easy, and sensitive enough for the detection of dystrophin from both cultured muscle cells and muscle biopsy samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rika Maruyama
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. .,The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research & Muscular Dystrophy Canada HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Sheikh O, Yokota T. Developing DMD therapeutics: a review of the effectiveness of small molecules, stop-codon readthrough, dystrophin gene replacement, and exon-skipping therapies. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2021; 30:167-176. [PMID: 33393390 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2021.1868434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked recessive disorder caused by mutations in the dystrophin (DMD) gene. Most patients die from respiratory failure or cardiomyopathy. There are significant unmet needs for treatments for DMD as the standard of care is principally limited to symptom relief through treatments including steroids. AREAS COVERED This review summarizes safety and efficacy in promising areas of DMD therapeutics - small molecules, stop codon readthrough, gene replacement, and exon skipping - under clinical examination from 2015-2020 as demonstrated in the NIH Clinical Trials and PubMed search engines. EXPERT OPINION Currently, steroids persist as the most accessible medicine for DMD. Stop-codon readthrough, gene replacement, and exon-skipping therapies all aim to restore dystrophin expression. Of these strategies, gene replacement therapy has recently gained momentum while exon-skipping retains great traction. The FDA approval of three exon-skipping antisense oligonucleotides illustrate this regulatory momentum, though the effectiveness and sequence design of eteplirsen remain controversial. Cell-penetrating peptides promise to more efficaciously treat DMD-related cardiomyopathy.The recent success of antisense therapies, however, poses major regulatory challenges. To fully realize the benefits of exon-skipping, including cocktail oligonucleotide-mediated multiple exon-skipping and oligonucleotide drugs for very rare mutations, regulatory challenges need to be addressed in coordination with scientific advances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Sheikh
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta , Edmonton, Canada
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta , Edmonton, Canada
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Lim KRQ, Maruyama R, Echigoya Y, Nguyen Q, Zhang A, Khawaja H, Sen Chandra S, Jones T, Jones P, Chen YW, Yokota T. Inhibition of DUX4 expression with antisense LNA gapmers as a therapy for facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:16509-16515. [PMID: 32601200 PMCID: PMC7368245 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1909649117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), characterized by progressive muscle weakness and deterioration, is genetically linked to aberrant expression of DUX4 in muscle. DUX4, in its full-length form, is cytotoxic in nongermline tissues. Here, we designed locked nucleic acid (LNA) gapmer antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) to knock down DUX4 in immortalized FSHD myoblasts and the FLExDUX4 FSHD mouse model. Using a screening method capable of reliably evaluating the knockdown efficiency of LNA gapmers against endogenous DUX4 messenger RNA in vitro, we demonstrate that several designed LNA gapmers selectively and effectively reduced DUX4 expression with nearly complete knockdown. We also found potential functional benefits of AOs on muscle fusion and structure in vitro. Finally, we show that one of the LNA gapmers was taken up and induced effective silencing of DUX4 upon local treatment in vivo. The LNA gapmers developed here will help facilitate the development of FSHD therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Rowel Q Lim
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada
| | - Rika Maruyama
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada
| | - Yusuke Echigoya
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Quynh Nguyen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada
| | - Aiping Zhang
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC 20010
- Department of Integrative Systems Biology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
| | - Hunain Khawaja
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC 20010
- Department of Integrative Systems Biology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
| | - Sreetama Sen Chandra
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC 20010
- Department of Integrative Systems Biology, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
| | - Takako Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557-0318
| | - Peter Jones
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV 89557-0318
| | - Yi-Wen Chen
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC 20010;
- Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and Health Science, George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada;
- The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research & Muscular Dystrophy Canada HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB T6G2H7, Canada
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16
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Dzierlega K, Yokota T. Optimization of antisense-mediated exon skipping for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Gene Ther 2020; 27:407-416. [DOI: 10.1038/s41434-020-0156-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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17
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Echigoya Y, Lim KRQ, Melo D, Bao B, Trieu N, Mizobe Y, Maruyama R, Mamchaoui K, Tanihata J, Aoki Y, Takeda S, Mouly V, Duddy W, Yokota T. Exons 45-55 Skipping Using Mutation-Tailored Cocktails of Antisense Morpholinos in the DMD Gene. Mol Ther 2019; 27:2005-2017. [PMID: 31416775 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2019.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the dystrophin (DMD) gene and consequent loss of dystrophin cause Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). A promising therapy for DMD, single-exon skipping using antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs), currently confronts major issues in that an antisense drug induces the production of functionally undefined dystrophin and may not be similarly efficacious among patients with different mutations. Accordingly, the applicability of this approach is limited to out-of-frame mutations. Here, using an exon-skipping efficiency predictive tool, we designed three different PMO cocktail sets for exons 45-55 skipping aiming to produce a dystrophin variant with preserved functionality as seen in milder or asymptomatic individuals with an in-frame exons 45-55 deletion. Of them, the most effective set was composed of select PMOs that each efficiently skips an assigned exon in cell-based screening. These combinational PMOs fitted to different deletions of immortalized DMD patient muscle cells significantly induced exons 45-55 skipping with removing 3, 8, or 10 exons and dystrophin restoration as represented by western blotting. In vivo skipping of the maximum 11 human DMD exons was confirmed in humanized mice. The finding indicates that our PMO set can be used to create mutation-tailored cocktails for exons 45-55 skipping and treat over 65% of DMD patients carrying out-of-frame or in-frame deletions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Echigoya
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada; Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-0880, Japan
| | - Kenji Rowel Q Lim
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Dyanna Melo
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Bo Bao
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Nhu Trieu
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Yoshitaka Mizobe
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Rika Maruyama
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Kamel Mamchaoui
- UPMC-Sorbonne Universités-University Paris 6, UPMC/INSERM UMRS974, CNRS FRE 3617, Myology Centre for Research, Paris Cedex 13 75651, France
| | - Jun Tanihata
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan; Department of Cell Physiology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Minato, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan
| | - Yoshitsugu Aoki
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Shin'ichi Takeda
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Vincent Mouly
- UPMC-Sorbonne Universités-University Paris 6, UPMC/INSERM UMRS974, CNRS FRE 3617, Myology Centre for Research, Paris Cedex 13 75651, France
| | - William Duddy
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry BT47 6SB, UK
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada; Muscular Dystrophy Canada Research Chair, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada.
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Peptide-conjugate antisense based splice-correction for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular diseases. EBioMedicine 2019; 45:630-645. [PMID: 31257147 PMCID: PMC6642283 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an X-linked disorder characterized by progressive muscle degeneration, caused by the absence of dystrophin. Exon skipping by antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) has recently gained recognition as therapeutic approach in DMD. Conjugation of a peptide to the phosphorodiamidate morpholino backbone (PMO) of ASOs generated the peptide-conjugated PMOs (PPMOs) that exhibit a dramatically improved pharmacokinetic profile. When tested in animal models, PPMOs demonstrate effective exon skipping in target muscles and prolonged duration of dystrophin restoration after a treatment regime. Herein we summarize the main pathophysiological features of DMD and the emergence of PPMOs as promising exon skipping agents aiming to rescue defective gene expression in DMD and other neuromuscular diseases. The listed PPMO laboratory findings correspond to latest trends in the field and highlight the obstacles that must be overcome prior to translating the animal-based research into clinical trials tailored to the needs of patients suffering from neuromuscular diseases.
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Maruyama R, Aoki Y, Takeda S, Yokota T. In Vivo Evaluation of Multiple Exon Skipping with Peptide-PMOs in Cardiac and Skeletal Muscles in Dystrophic Dogs. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1828:365-379. [PMID: 30171554 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8651-4_23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Exon skipping is an emerging approach to treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), one of the most common lethal genetic disorders. Exon skipping uses synthetic antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) to splice out frame-disrupting exon(s) of DMD mRNA to restore the reading frame of the gene products and produce truncated yet functional proteins. The FDA conditionally approved the first exon-skipping AON, called eteplirsen (brand name ExonDys51), targeting exon 51 of the DMD gene, in late 2016. Using a cocktail of AONs, multiple exons can be skipped, which can theoretically treat 80-90% of patients with DMD. Although the success of multiple exon skipping in a DMD dog model has made a significant impact on the development of therapeutics for DMD, unmodified AONs such as phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) have little efficacy in cardiac muscles. Here, we describe our technique of intravenous injection of a cocktail of peptide-conjugated PMOs (PPMOs) to skip multiple exons, exons 6 and 8, in both skeletal and cardiac muscles in dystrophic dogs and the evaluation of the efficacy and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rika Maruyama
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yoshitsugu Aoki
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Shin'ichi Takeda
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan.
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Edmonton, AB, Canada. .,The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research and Muscular Dystrophy Canada HM Toupin Neurological Science Endowed Research Chair, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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20
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Tips to Design Effective Splice-Switching Antisense Oligonucleotides for Exon Skipping and Exon Inclusion. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1828:79-90. [PMID: 30171536 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8651-4_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Antisense-mediated exon skipping and exon inclusion have proven to be powerful tools for treating neuromuscular diseases. The approval of Exondys 51 (eteplirsen) and Spinraza (nusinersen) for the treatment of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) was the most noteworthy accomplishment in 2016. Exon skipping uses short DNA-like molecules called antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) to correct the disrupted reading frame, allowing the production of functional quasi-dystrophin proteins, and ameliorate the progression of the disease. Exon inclusion for SMA employs an AON targeting an intronic splice silencer site to include an exon which is otherwise spliced out. Recently, these strategies have also been explored in many other genetic disorders, including dysferlin-deficient muscular dystrophy (e.g., Miyoshi myopathy; MM, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B; LGMD2B, and distal myopathy with anterior tibial onset; DMAT), laminin α2 chain (merosin)-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy (MDC1A), sarcoglycanopathy (e.g., limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2C; LGMD2C), and Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD). A major challenge in exon skipping and exon inclusion is the difficulty in designing effective AONs. The mechanism of mRNA splicing is highly complex, and the efficacy of AONs is often unpredictable. We will discuss the design of effective AONs for exon skipping and exon inclusion in this chapter.
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21
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Optimization of 2',4'-BNA/LNA-Based Oligonucleotides for Splicing Modulation In Vitro. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1828:395-411. [PMID: 30171556 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8651-4_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated splicing modulation is an attractive strategy for treating genetic disorders. In 2016, two splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs) were approved by the FDA. To date, various types of novel artificial nucleic acids have been developed, and their potential for splicing modulations has been demonstrated. To apply these novel chemistries to SSOs, it is necessary to determine the appropriate design for each artificial nucleic acid such as the length of the SSO and number of modifications. In this protocol, we focus on SSOs modified with 2'-O,4'-methylene-bridged nucleic acid (2',4'-BNA)/locked nucleic acid (LNA), which is an artificial nucleic acid that shows extremely high binding affinity to target RNA strands. We describe our typical protocol for the optimization of 2',4'-BNA-based SSOs.
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22
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Nakamura A. Mutation-Based Therapeutic Strategies for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: From Genetic Diagnosis to Therapy. J Pers Med 2019; 9:jpm9010016. [PMID: 30836656 PMCID: PMC6462977 DOI: 10.3390/jpm9010016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) are X-linked muscle disorders caused by mutations of the DMD gene, which encodes the subsarcolemmal protein dystrophin. In DMD, dystrophin is not expressed due to a disruption in the reading frame of the DMD gene, resulting in a severe phenotype. Becker muscular dystrophy exhibits a milder phenotype, having mutations that maintain the reading frame and allow for the production of truncated dystrophin. To date, various therapeutic approaches for DMD have been extensively developed. However, the pathomechanism is quite complex despite it being a single gene disorder, and dystrophin is expressed not only in a large amount of skeletal muscle but also in cardiac, vascular, intestinal smooth muscle, and nervous system tissue. Thus, the most appropriate therapy would be complementation or restoration of dystrophin expression, such as gene therapy using viral vectors, readthrough therapy, or exon skipping therapy. Among them, exon skipping therapy with antisense oligonucleotides can restore the reading frame and yield the conversion of a severe phenotype to one that is mild. In this paper, I present the significance of molecular diagnosis and the development of mutation-based therapeutic strategies to complement or restore dystrophin expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akinori Nakamura
- Department of Neurology, National Hospital Organization, Matsumoto Medical Center, 2-20-30 Murai-machi Minami, Matsumoto 399-8701, Japan.
- Third Department of Medicine, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621, Japan.
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23
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Nghiem PP, Kornegay JN. Gene therapies in canine models for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Hum Genet 2019; 138:483-489. [PMID: 30734120 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-019-01976-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Therapies for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) must first be tested in animal models to determine proof-of-concept, efficacy, and importantly, safety. The murine and canine models for DMD are genetically homologous and most commonly used in pre-clinical testing. Although the mouse is a strong, proof-of-concept model, affected dogs show more analogous clinical and immunological disease progression compared to boys with DMD. As such, evaluating genetic therapies in the canine models may better predict response at the genetic, phenotypic, and immunological levels. We review the use of canine models for DMD and their benefits as it pertains to genetic therapy studies, including gene replacement, exon skipping, and gene editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter P Nghiem
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, 4458 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-4458, USA.
| | - Joe N Kornegay
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, 4458 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-4458, USA
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Scavenger Receptor Class A1 Mediates Uptake of Morpholino Antisense Oligonucleotide into Dystrophic Skeletal Muscle. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2019; 14:520-535. [PMID: 30763772 PMCID: PMC6374502 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2019.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Exon skipping using phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) is a promising treatment strategy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The most significant limitation of these clinically used compounds is their lack of delivery systems that target muscles; thus, cell-penetrating peptides are being developed to enhance uptake into muscles. Recently, we reported that uptake of peptide-conjugated PMOs into myofibers was mediated by scavenger receptor class A (SR-A), which binds negatively charged ligands. However, the mechanism by which the naked PMOs are taken up into fibers is poorly understood. In this study, we found that PMO uptake and exon-skipping efficiency were promoted in dystrophin-deficient myotubes via endocytosis through a caveolin-dependent pathway. Interestingly, SR-A1 was upregulated and localized in juxtaposition with caveolin-3 in these myotubes and promoted PMO-induced exon skipping. SR-A1 was also upregulated in the skeletal muscle of mdx52 mice and mediated PMO uptake. In addition, PMOs with neutral backbones had negative zeta potentials owing to their nucleobase compositions and interacted with SR-A1. In conclusion, PMOs with negative zeta potential were taken up into dystrophin-deficient skeletal muscle by upregulated SR-A1. Therefore, the development of a drug delivery system targeting SR-A1 could lead to highly efficient exon-skipping therapies for DMD.
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Multiple Exon Skipping in the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Hot Spots: Prospects and Challenges. J Pers Med 2018; 8:jpm8040041. [PMID: 30544634 PMCID: PMC6313462 DOI: 10.3390/jpm8040041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 11/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a fatal X-linked recessive disorder, is caused mostly by frame-disrupting, out-of-frame deletions in the dystrophin (DMD) gene. Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated exon skipping is a promising therapy for DMD. Exon skipping aims to convert out-of-frame mRNA to in-frame mRNA and induce the production of internally-deleted dystrophin as seen in the less severe Becker muscular dystrophy. Currently, multiple exon skipping has gained special interest as a new therapeutic modality for this approach. Previous retrospective database studies represented a potential therapeutic application of multiple exon skipping. Since then, public DMD databases have become more useful with an increase in patient registration and advances in molecular diagnosis. Here, we provide an update on DMD genotype-phenotype associations using a global DMD database and further provide the rationale for multiple exon skipping development, particularly for exons 45–55 skipping and an emerging therapeutic concept, exons 3–9 skipping. Importantly, this review highlights the potential of multiple exon skipping for enabling the production of functionally-corrected dystrophin and for treating symptomatic patients not only with out-of-frame deletions but also those with in-frame deletions. We will also discuss prospects and challenges in multiple exon skipping therapy, referring to recent progress in antisense chemistry and design, as well as disease models.
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Masaki Y, Yamamoto K, Inde T, Yoshida K, Maruyama A, Nagata T, Tanihata J, Takeda S, Sekine M, Seio K. Synthesis of 2'-O-(N-methylcarbamoylethyl) 5-methyl-2-thiouridine and its application to splice-switching oligonucleotides. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2018; 29:160-163. [PMID: 30551900 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The effect of 2'-O-(N-methylcarbamoyl)ethyl (MCE) modification on splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSO) was systematically evaluated. The incorporation of five MCE nucleotides at the 5'-termini of SSOs effectively improved the splice switching effect. In addition, the incorporation of 2'-O-(N-methylcarbamoylethyl)-5-methyl-2-thiouridine (s2TMCE), a duplex-stabilizing nucleotide with an MCE modification, into SSOs further improved splice switching. These SSOs may be useful for the treatment of genetic diseases associated with splicing errors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiaki Masaki
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 J2-16, Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Keishi Yamamoto
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 J2-16, Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Takeshi Inde
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 J2-16, Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Keita Yoshida
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 J2-16, Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Atsuya Maruyama
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 J2-16, Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Nagata
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8519, Japan
| | - Jun Tanihata
- Department of Molecular Therapy, Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Shin'ichi Takeda
- Department of Molecular Therapy, Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Mitsuo Sekine
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 J2-16, Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan
| | - Kohji Seio
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 J2-16, Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 226-8501, Japan.
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Lee JJA, Maruyama R, Duddy W, Sakurai H, Yokota T. Identification of Novel Antisense-Mediated Exon Skipping Targets in DYSF for Therapeutic Treatment of Dysferlinopathy. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2018; 13:596-604. [PMID: 30439648 PMCID: PMC6234522 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Dysferlinopathy is a progressive myopathy caused by mutations in the dysferlin (DYSF) gene. Dysferlin protein plays a major role in plasma-membrane resealing. Some patients with DYSF deletion mutations exhibit mild symptoms, suggesting some regions of DYSF can be removed without significantly impacting protein function. Antisense-mediated exon-skipping therapy uses synthetic molecules called antisense oligonucleotides to modulate splicing, allowing exons harboring or near genetic mutations to be removed and the open reading frame corrected. Previous studies have focused on DYSF exon 32 skipping as a potential therapeutic approach, based on the association of a mild phenotype with the in-frame deletion of exon 32. To date, no other DYSF exon-skipping targets have been identified, and the relationship between DYSF exon deletion pattern and protein function remains largely uncharacterized. In this study, we utilized a membrane-wounding assay to evaluate the ability of plasmid constructs carrying mutant DYSF, as well as antisense oligonucleotides, to rescue membrane resealing in patient cells. We report that multi-exon skipping of DYSF exons 26–27 and 28–29 rescues plasma-membrane resealing. Successful translation of these findings into the development of clinical antisense drugs would establish new therapeutic approaches that would be applicable to ∼5%–7% (exons 26–27 skipping) and ∼8% (exons 28–29 skipping) of dysferlinopathy patients worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J A Lee
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Rika Maruyama
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - William Duddy
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry, United Kingdom
| | - Hidetoshi Sakurai
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research & Muscular Dystrophy Canada HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada.
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Akpulat U, Wang H, Becker K, Contreras A, Partridge TA, Novak JS, Cirak S. Shorter Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Splice-Switching Oligonucleotides May Increase Exon-Skipping Efficacy in DMD. MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS 2018; 13:534-542. [PMID: 30396145 PMCID: PMC6222172 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a fatal muscle disease, caused by mutations in DMD, leading to loss of dystrophin expression. Phosphorodiamidate morpholino splice-switching oligonucleotides (PMO-SSOs) have been used to elicit the restoration of a partially functional truncated dystrophin by excluding disruptive exons from the DMD messenger. The 30-mer PMO eteplirsen (EXONDYS51) developed for exon 51 skipping is the first dystrophin-restoring, conditionally FDA-approved drug in history. Clinical trials had shown a dose-dependent variable and patchy dystrophin restoration. The main obstacle for efficient dystrophin restoration is the inadequate uptake of PMOs into skeletal muscle fibers at low doses. The excessive cost of longer PMOs has limited the utilization of higher dosing. We designed shorter 25-mer PMOs directed to the same eteplirsen-targeted region of exon 51 and compared their efficacies in vitro and in vivo in the mdx52 murine model. Our results showed that skipped-dystrophin induction was comparable between the 30-mer PMO sequence of eteplirsen and one of the shorter PMOs, while the other 25-mer PMOs showed lower exon-skipping efficacies. Shorter PMOs would make higher doses economically feasible, and high dosing would result in better drug uptake into muscle, induce higher levels of dystrophin restoration in DMD muscle, and, ultimately, increase the clinical efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ugur Akpulat
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany; Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne 50937, Germany; Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu 37100, Turkey
| | - Haicui Wang
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany; Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne 50937, Germany
| | - Kerstin Becker
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany; Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne 50937, Germany
| | - Adriana Contreras
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany; Department of Pediatrics, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne 50937, Germany
| | - Terence A Partridge
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC 20010, USA; Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - James S Novak
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC 20010, USA; Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Sebahattin Cirak
- Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne 50931, Germany.
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Abstract
During the past 10 years, antisense oligonucleotide-mediated exon skipping and splice modulation have proven to be powerful tools for correction of mRNA splicing in genetic diseases. In 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved Exondys 51 (eteplirsen) and Spinraza (nusinersen), the first exon skipping and exon inclusion drugs, to treat patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), respectively. The exon skipping of DMD mRNA aims to restore the disrupted reading frame using antisense oligonucleotides (AONs), allowing the production of truncated but partly functional dystrophin proteins, and slow down the progression of the disease. This approach has also been explored in several other genetic disorders, including laminin α2 chain-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy, dysferlin-deficient muscular dystrophy (e.g., Miyoshi myopathy and limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B), sarcoglycanopathy (limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2C), and Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy. Antisense-mediated exon skipping is also a powerful tool to examine the function of genes and exons. A significant challenge in exon skipping is how to design effective AONs. The mechanism of mRNA splicing is highly complex with many factors involved. The selection of target sites, the length of AONs, the AON chemistry, and the melting temperature versus the RNA strand play important roles. A cocktail of AONs can be employed to skip multiples exons. In this chapter, we discuss the design of effective AONs for exon skipping.
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Lee J, Echigoya Y, Duddy W, Saito T, Aoki Y, Takeda S, Yokota T. Antisense PMO cocktails effectively skip dystrophin exons 45-55 in myotubes transdifferentiated from DMD patient fibroblasts. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197084. [PMID: 29771942 PMCID: PMC5957359 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Antisense-mediated exon skipping has made significant progress as a therapeutic platform in recent years, especially in the case of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Despite FDA approval of eteplirsen-the first-ever antisense drug clinically marketed for DMD-exon skipping therapy still faces the significant hurdles of limited applicability and unknown truncated protein function. In-frame exon skipping of dystrophin exons 45-55 represents a significant approach to treating DMD, as a large proportion of patients harbor mutations within this "hotspot" region. Additionally, patients harboring dystrophin exons 45-55 deletion mutations are reported to have exceptionally mild to asymptomatic phenotypes. Here, we demonstrate that a cocktail of phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers can effectively skip dystrophin exons 45-55 in vitro in myotubes transdifferentiated from DMD patient fibroblast cells. This is the first report of substantive exons 45-55 skipping in DMD patient cells. These findings help validate the use of transdifferentiated patient fibroblast cells as a suitable cell model for dystrophin exon skipping assays and further emphasize the feasibility of dystrophin exons 45-55 skipping in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Lee
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Yusuke Echigoya
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - William Duddy
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry, United Kingdom
| | - Takashi Saito
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Yoshitsugu Aoki
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Shin’ichi Takeda
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research & Muscular Dystrophy Canada HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Shimo T, Hosoki K, Nakatsuji Y, Yokota T, Obika S. A novel human muscle cell model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy created by CRISPR/Cas9 and evaluation of antisense-mediated exon skipping. J Hum Genet 2018; 63:365-375. [PMID: 29339778 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-017-0400-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Oligonucleotide-mediated splicing modulation is a promising therapeutic approach for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Recently, eteplirsen, a phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer-based splice-switching oligonucleotide (SSO) targeting DMD exon 51, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as the first antisense-based drug for DMD patients. For further exploring SSOs targeting other exons in the DMD gene, the efficacy of exon skipping and protein rescue with each SSO sequence needs evaluations in vitro. However, only a few immortalized muscle cell lines derived from DMD patients have been reported and are available to test the efficacy of exon skipping in vitro. To solve this problem, we generated a novel immortalized DMD muscle cell line from the human rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) cell line. We removed DMD exons 51-57 (~0.3 Mb) in the RD cell line using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Additionally, in this DMD model cell line, we evaluated the exon 50 skipping activity of previously reported SSOs at both the mRNA and protein levels. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing of the DMD gene in the RD cell line will allow for assessment of SSOs targeting most of the rare mutations in the DMD gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takenori Shimo
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 8-31 Medical Science Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Kana Hosoki
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 8-31 Medical Science Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Yusuke Nakatsuji
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 8-31 Medical Science Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada.,Muscular Dystrophy Canada Research Chair, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Satoshi Obika
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Osaka University, 1-6 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.
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Abstract
Since its discovery in 1977, much has been known about RNA splicing and how it plays a central role in human development, function, and, notably, disease. Defects in RNA splicing account for at least 10% of all genetic disorders, with the number expected to increase as more information is uncovered on the contribution of noncoding genomic regions to disease. Splice modulation through the use of antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) has emerged as a promising avenue for the treatment of these disorders. In fact, two splice-switching AOs have recently obtained approval from the US Food and Drug Administration: eteplirsen (Exondys 51) for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and nusinersen (Spinraza) for spinal muscular atrophy. These work by exon skipping and exon inclusion, respectively. In this chapter, we discuss the early development of AO-based splice modulation therapy-its invention, first applications, and its evolution into the approach we are now familiar with. We give a more extensive history of exon skipping in particular, as it is the splice modulation approach given the most focus in this book.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Rowel Q Lim
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
- The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research and Muscular Dystrophy Canada HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Lim KRQ, Yokota T. Quantitative Evaluation of Exon Skipping in Immortalized Muscle Cells In Vitro. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1828:127-139. [PMID: 30171538 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8651-4_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Exon skipping through the use of antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) is currently one of the most promising approaches for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). While we now have a number of AO drug candidates in clinical trials, we are still faced with issues of poor or controversial efficacy in some of these drugs. This is the case with eteplirsen, an exon 51-skipping AO that is the first and only FDA-approved drug for DMD to date. Effective procedures must, therefore, be set up for the in vitro screening of potential AOs for DMD treatment. Here, we describe one such procedure using immortalized DMD patient-derived muscle cells. Aside from allowing for the quantitative evaluation of candidate AOs based on their exon skipping efficiency and dystrophin protein rescue levels, these immortalized cells are stable, pure, easy to grow, and not subject to confounding by senescence-related issues. This procedure enables a more reliable screening of AOs prior to their entry in clinical trials and greatly facilitates the search for more efficacious candidate exon skipping AOs for DMD treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Rowel Q Lim
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada. .,The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research and Muscular Dystrophy Canada HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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Rinaldi C, Wood MJA. Antisense oligonucleotides: the next frontier for treatment of neurological disorders. Nat Rev Neurol 2017; 14:9-21. [PMID: 29192260 DOI: 10.1038/nrneurol.2017.148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 463] [Impact Index Per Article: 66.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) were first discovered to influence RNA processing and modulate protein expression over two decades ago; however, progress translating these agents into the clinic has been hampered by inadequate target engagement, insufficient biological activity, and off-target toxic effects. Over the years, novel chemical modifications of ASOs have been employed to address these issues. These modifications, in combination with elucidation of the mechanism of action of ASOs and improved clinical trial design, have provided momentum for the translation of ASO-based strategies into therapies. Many neurological conditions lack an effective treatment; however, as research progressively disentangles the pathogenic mechanisms of these diseases, they provide an ideal platform to test ASO-based strategies. This steady progress reached a pinnacle in the past few years with approvals of ASOs for the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy and Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which represent landmarks in a field in which disease-modifying therapies were virtually non-existent. With the rapid development of improved next-generation ASOs toward clinical application, this technology now holds the potential to have a dramatic effect on the treatment of many neurological conditions in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Rinaldi
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Le Gros Clark Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
| | - Matthew J A Wood
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Le Gros Clark Building, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK
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Immortalized Muscle Cell Model to Test the Exon Skipping Efficacy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. J Pers Med 2017; 7:jpm7040013. [PMID: 29035327 PMCID: PMC5748625 DOI: 10.3390/jpm7040013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 10/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal genetic disorder that most commonly results from mutations disrupting the reading frame of the dystrophin (DMD) gene. Among the therapeutic approaches employed, exon skipping using antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) is one of the most promising strategies. This strategy aims to restore the reading frame, thus producing a truncated, yet functioning dystrophin protein. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conditionally approved the first AO-based drug, eteplirsen (Exondys 51), developed for DMD exon 51 skipping. An accurate and reproducible method to quantify exon skipping efficacy is essential for evaluating the therapeutic potential of different AOs sequences. However, previous in vitro screening studies have been hampered by the limited proliferative capacity and insufficient amounts of dystrophin expressed by primary muscle cell lines that have been the main system used to evaluate AOs sequences. In this paper, we illustrate the challenges associated with primary muscle cell lines and describe a novel approach that utilizes immortalized cell lines to quantitatively evaluate the exon skipping efficacy in in vitro studies.
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Echigoya Y, Lim KRQ, Trieu N, Bao B, Miskew Nichols B, Vila MC, Novak JS, Hara Y, Lee J, Touznik A, Mamchaoui K, Aoki Y, Takeda S, Nagaraju K, Mouly V, Maruyama R, Duddy W, Yokota T. Quantitative Antisense Screening and Optimization for Exon 51 Skipping in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Mol Ther 2017; 25:2561-2572. [PMID: 28865998 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2017.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the most common lethal genetic disorder, is caused by mutations in the dystrophin (DMD) gene. Exon skipping is a therapeutic approach that uses antisense oligonucleotides (AOs) to modulate splicing and restore the reading frame, leading to truncated, yet functional protein expression. In 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conditionally approved the first phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (morpholino)-based AO drug, eteplirsen, developed for DMD exon 51 skipping. Eteplirsen remains controversial with insufficient evidence of its therapeutic effect in patients. We recently developed an in silico tool to design antisense morpholino sequences for exon skipping. Here, we designed morpholino AOs targeting DMD exon 51 using the in silico tool and quantitatively evaluated the effects in immortalized DMD muscle cells in vitro. To our surprise, most of the newly designed morpholinos induced exon 51 skipping more efficiently compared with the eteplirsen sequence. The efficacy of exon 51 skipping and rescue of dystrophin protein expression were increased by up to more than 12-fold and 7-fold, respectively, compared with the eteplirsen sequence. Significant in vivo efficacy of the most effective morpholino, determined in vitro, was confirmed in mice carrying the human DMD gene. These findings underscore the importance of AO sequence optimization for exon skipping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Echigoya
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Kenji Rowel Q Lim
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Nhu Trieu
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Bo Bao
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Bailey Miskew Nichols
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Maria Candida Vila
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - James S Novak
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Medical Center, 111 Michigan Avenue Northwest, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Yuko Hara
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Joshua Lee
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Aleksander Touznik
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Kamel Mamchaoui
- UPMC-Sorbonne Universités-University Paris 6, UPMC/INSERM UMRS974, CNRS FRE 3617, Myology Centre for Research, Paris Cedex 13 75651, France
| | - Yoshitsugu Aoki
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Shin'ichi Takeda
- Department of Molecular Therapy, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-8502, Japan
| | - Kanneboyina Nagaraju
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, SUNY-Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA
| | - Vincent Mouly
- UPMC-Sorbonne Universités-University Paris 6, UPMC/INSERM UMRS974, CNRS FRE 3617, Myology Centre for Research, Paris Cedex 13 75651, France
| | - Rika Maruyama
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - William Duddy
- Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry BT47 6SB, UK
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada; Muscular Dystrophy Canada Research Chair, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada.
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Short (16-mer) locked nucleic acid splice-switching oligonucleotides restore dystrophin production in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy myotubes. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181065. [PMID: 28742140 PMCID: PMC5524367 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Splice-switching antisense oligonucleotides (SSOs) offer great potential for RNA-targeting therapies, and two SSO drugs have been recently approved for treating Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Despite promising results, new developments are still needed for more efficient chemistries and delivery systems. Locked nucleic acid (LNA) is a chemically modified nucleic acid that presents several attractive properties, such as high melting temperature when bound to RNA, potent biological activity, high stability and low toxicity in vivo. Here, we designed a series of LNA-based SSOs complementary to two sequences of the human dystrophin exon 51 that are most evolutionary conserved and evaluated their ability to induce exon skipping upon transfection into myoblasts derived from a DMD patient. We show that 16-mers with 60% of LNA modification efficiently induce exon skipping and restore synthesis of a truncated dystrophin isoform that localizes to the plasma membrane of patient-derived myotubes differentiated in culture. In sum, this study underscores the value of short LNA-modified SSOs for therapeutic applications.
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Moving towards successful exon-skipping therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. J Hum Genet 2017; 62:871-876. [DOI: 10.1038/jhg.2017.57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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Effects of systemic multiexon skipping with peptide-conjugated morpholinos in the heart of a dog model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:4213-4218. [PMID: 28373570 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1613203114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a lethal genetic disorder caused by an absence of the dystrophin protein in bodywide muscles, including the heart. Cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of death in DMD. Exon skipping via synthetic phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) represents one of the most promising therapeutic options, yet PMOs have shown very little efficacy in cardiac muscle. To increase therapeutic potency in cardiac muscle, we tested a next-generation morpholino: arginine-rich, cell-penetrating peptide-conjugated PMOs (PPMOs) in the canine X-linked muscular dystrophy in Japan (CXMDJ) dog model of DMD. A PPMO cocktail designed to skip dystrophin exons 6 and 8 was injected intramuscularly, intracoronarily, or intravenously into CXMDJ dogs. Intravenous injections with PPMOs restored dystrophin expression in the myocardium and cardiac Purkinje fibers, as well as skeletal muscles. Vacuole degeneration of cardiac Purkinje fibers, as seen in DMD patients, was ameliorated in PPMO-treated dogs. Although symptoms and functions in skeletal muscle were not ameliorated by i.v. treatment, electrocardiogram abnormalities (increased Q-amplitude and Q/R ratio) were improved in CXMDJ dogs after intracoronary or i.v. administration. No obvious evidence of toxicity was found in blood tests throughout the monitoring period of one or four systemic treatments with the PPMO cocktail (12 mg/kg/injection). The present study reports the rescue of dystrophin expression and recovery of the conduction system in the heart of dystrophic dogs by PPMO-mediated multiexon skipping. We demonstrate that rescued dystrophin expression in the Purkinje fibers leads to the improvement/prevention of cardiac conduction abnormalities in the dystrophic heart.
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Lim KRQ, Maruyama R, Yokota T. Eteplirsen in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. DRUG DESIGN DEVELOPMENT AND THERAPY 2017; 11:533-545. [PMID: 28280301 PMCID: PMC5338848 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s97635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 284] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a fatal neuromuscular disorder affecting around one in 3,500–5,000 male births that is characterized by progressive muscular deterioration. It is inherited in an X-linked recessive fashion and is caused by loss-of-function mutations in the DMD gene coding for dystrophin, a cytoskeletal protein that stabilizes the plasma membrane of muscle fibers. In September 2016, the US Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval for eteplirsen (or Exondys 51), a drug that acts to promote dystrophin production by restoring the translational reading frame of DMD through specific skipping of exon 51 in defective gene variants. Eteplirsen is applicable for approximately 14% of patients with DMD mutations. This article extensively reviews and discusses the available information on eteplirsen to date, focusing on pharmacological, efficacy, safety, and tolerability data from preclinical and clinical trials. Issues faced by eteplirsen, particularly those relating to its efficacy, will be identified. Finally, the place of eteplirsen and exon skipping as a general therapeutic strategy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy treatment will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji Rowel Q Lim
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta
| | - Rika Maruyama
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta
| | - Toshifumi Yokota
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta; The Friends of Garrett Cumming Research & Muscular Dystrophy Canada, HM Toupin Neurological Science Research Chair, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Thorley M, Duguez S, Mazza EMC, Valsoni S, Bigot A, Mamchaoui K, Harmon B, Voit T, Mouly V, Duddy W. Skeletal muscle characteristics are preserved in hTERT/cdk4 human myogenic cell lines. Skelet Muscle 2016; 6:43. [PMID: 27931240 PMCID: PMC5146814 DOI: 10.1186/s13395-016-0115-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background hTERT/cdk4 immortalized myogenic human cell lines represent an important tool for skeletal muscle research, being used as therapeutically pertinent models of various neuromuscular disorders and in numerous fundamental studies of muscle cell function. However, the cell cycle is linked to other cellular processes such as integrin regulation, the PI3K/Akt pathway, and microtubule stability, raising the question as to whether genetic modification related to the cell cycle results in secondary effects that could undermine the validity of these cell models. Results Here we subjected five healthy and disease muscle cell isolates to transcriptomic analysis, comparing immortalized lines with their parent primary populations in both differentiated and undifferentiated states, and testing their myogenic character by comparison with non-myogenic (CD56-negative) cells. Principal component analysis of global gene expression showed tight clustering of immortalized myoblasts to their parent primary populations, with clean separation from the non-myogenic reference. Comparison was made to publicly available transcriptomic data from studies of muscle human pathology, cell, and animal models, including to derive a consensus set of genes previously shown to have altered regulation during myoblast differentiation. Hierarchical clustering of samples based on gene expression of this consensus set showed that immortalized lines retained the myogenic expression patterns of their parent primary populations. Of 2784 canonical pathways and gene ontology terms tested by gene set enrichment analysis, none were significantly enriched in immortalized compared to primary cell populations. We observed, at the whole transcriptome level, a strong signature of cell cycle shutdown associated with senescence in one primary myoblast population, whereas its immortalized clone was protected. Conclusions Immortalization had no observed effect on the myogenic cascade or on any other cellular processes, and it was protective against the systems level effects of senescence that are observed at higher division counts of primary cells. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13395-016-0115-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Thorley
- INSERM, CNRS, Institute of Myology, Center of Research in Myology, Sorbonne Universities, UPMC Univ Paris 6, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Duguez
- INSERM, CNRS, Institute of Myology, Center of Research in Myology, Sorbonne Universities, UPMC Univ Paris 6, Paris, France.,Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry, Northern Ireland UK
| | - Emilia Maria Cristina Mazza
- Department of Life Sciences, Center for Genome Research, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Sara Valsoni
- Department of Life Sciences, Center for Genome Research, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Anne Bigot
- INSERM, CNRS, Institute of Myology, Center of Research in Myology, Sorbonne Universities, UPMC Univ Paris 6, Paris, France
| | - Kamel Mamchaoui
- INSERM, CNRS, Institute of Myology, Center of Research in Myology, Sorbonne Universities, UPMC Univ Paris 6, Paris, France
| | - Brennan Harmon
- Research Center for Genetic Medicine, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC 20010 USA
| | - Thomas Voit
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, Institute of Child Health, University College London, 30 Guilford Street, London, UK
| | - Vincent Mouly
- INSERM, CNRS, Institute of Myology, Center of Research in Myology, Sorbonne Universities, UPMC Univ Paris 6, Paris, France
| | - William Duddy
- INSERM, CNRS, Institute of Myology, Center of Research in Myology, Sorbonne Universities, UPMC Univ Paris 6, Paris, France.,Northern Ireland Centre for Stratified Medicine, Altnagelvin Hospital Campus, Ulster University, Londonderry, Northern Ireland UK
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Kamaludin AA, Smolarchuk C, Bischof JM, Eggert R, Greer JJ, Ren J, Lee JJ, Yokota T, Berry FB, Wevrick R. Muscle dysfunction caused by loss of Magel2 in a mouse model of Prader-Willi and Schaaf-Yang syndromes. Hum Mol Genet 2016; 25:3798-3809. [PMID: 27436578 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddw225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Prader-Willi syndrome is characterized by severe hypotonia in infancy, with decreased lean mass and increased fat mass in childhood followed by severe hyperphagia and consequent obesity. Scoliosis and other orthopaedic manifestations of hypotonia are common in children with Prader-Willi syndrome and cause significant morbidity. The relationships among hypotonia, reduced muscle mass and scoliosis have been difficult to establish. Inactivating mutations in one Prader-Willi syndrome candidate gene, MAGEL2, cause a Prader-Willi-like syndrome called Schaaf-Yang syndrome, highlighting the importance of loss of MAGEL2 in Prader-Willi syndrome phenotypes. Gene-targeted mice lacking Magel2 have excess fat and decreased muscle, recapitulating altered body composition in Prader-Willi syndrome. We now demonstrate that Magel2 is expressed in the developing musculoskeletal system, and that loss of Magel2 causes muscle-related phenotypes in mice consistent with atrophy caused by altered autophagy. Magel2-null mice serve as a preclinical model for therapies targeting muscle structure and function in children lacking MAGEL2 diagnosed with Prader-Willi or Schaaf-Yang syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - John J Greer
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Jun Ren
- Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | | | | | - Fred B Berry
- Department of Medical Genetics
- Department of Surgery and
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Correcting the NLRP3 inflammasome deficiency in macrophages from autoimmune NZB mice with exon skipping antisense oligonucleotides. Immunol Cell Biol 2016; 94:520-4. [PMID: 26833024 DOI: 10.1038/icb.2016.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Inflammasomes are molecular complexes activated by infection and cellular stress, leading to caspase-1 activation and subsequent interleukin-1β (IL-1β) processing and cell death. The autoimmune NZB mouse strain does not express NLRP3, a key inflammasome initiator mediating responses to a wide variety of stimuli including endogenous danger signals, environmental irritants and a range of bacterial, fungal and viral pathogens. We have previously identified an intronic point mutation in the Nlrp3 gene from NZB mice that generates a splice acceptor site. This leads to inclusion of a pseudoexon that introduces an early termination codon and is proposed to be the cause of NLRP3 inflammasome deficiency in NZB cells. Here we have used exon skipping antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) to prevent aberrant splicing of Nlrp3 in NZB macrophages, and this restored both NLRP3 protein expression and NLRP3 inflammasome activity. Thus, the single point mutation leading to aberrant splicing is the sole cause of NLRP3 inflammasome deficiency in NZB macrophages. The NZB mouse provides a model for addressing a splicing defect in macrophages and could be used to further investigate AON design and delivery of AONs to macrophages in vivo.
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Antisense oligonucleotide drugs for Duchenne muscular dystrophy: how far have we come and what does the future hold? Future Med Chem 2015; 7:1631-5. [PMID: 26423833 DOI: 10.4155/fmc.15.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
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