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Ravichandran M, Maddalo D. Applications of CRISPR-Cas9 for advancing precision medicine in oncology: from target discovery to disease modeling. Front Genet 2023; 14:1273994. [PMID: 37908590 PMCID: PMC10613999 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1273994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) (CRISPR/Cas9) system is a powerful tool that enables precise and efficient gene manipulation. In a relatively short time, CRISPR has risen to become the preferred gene-editing system due to its high efficiency, simplicity, and programmability at low costs. Furthermore, in the recent years, the CRISPR toolkit has been rapidly expanding, and the emerging advancements have shown tremendous potential in uncovering molecular mechanisms and new therapeutic strategies for human diseases. In this review, we provide our perspectives on the recent advancements in CRISPR technology and its impact on precision medicine, ranging from target identification, disease modeling, and diagnostics. We also discuss the impact of novel approaches such as epigenome, base, and prime editing on preclinical cancer drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirunalini Ravichandran
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Danilo Maddalo
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
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Henderson CJ, McLaren AW, Kapelyukh Y, Wolf CR. Improving the predictive power of xenograft and syngeneic anti-tumour studies using mice humanised for pathways of drug metabolism. F1000Res 2023; 11:1081. [PMID: 37065929 PMCID: PMC10090862 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.122987.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug development is an expensive and time-consuming process, with only a small fraction of drugs gaining regulatory approval from the often many thousands of candidates identified during target validation. Once a lead compound has been identified and optimised, they are subject to intensive pre-clinical research to determine their pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties, procedures which inevitably involve significant numbers of animals - mainly mice and rats, but also dogs and monkeys in much smaller numbers and for specific types of drug candidates. Many compounds that emerge from this process, having been shown to be safe and efficacious in pre-clinical studies, subsequently fail to replicate this outcome in clinical trials, therefore wasting time, money and, most importantly, animals. Due to high rates of metabolism and a differing spectrum of metabolites (some pharmacologically active) in rodents, species differences in drug metabolism can be a major impediment to drug discovery programmes and confound the extrapolation of animal data to humans. To circumvent this, we have developed a complex transgenic mouse model – 8HUM - which faithfully replicates human Phase I drug metabolism (and its regulation), and which will generate more human-relevant data from fewer animals in a pre-clinical setting and reduce attrition in the clinic. One key area for the pre-clinical application of animals in an oncology setting – almost exclusively mice - is their use in anti-tumour studies. We now further demonstrate the utility of the 8HUM mouse using a murine melanoma cell line as a syngeneic tumour and also present an immunodeficient version 8HUM_Rag2 -/- - for use in xenograft studies. These models will be of significant benefit not only to Pharma for pre-clinical drug development work, but also throughout the drug efficacy, toxicology, pharmacology, and drug metabolism communities, where fewer animals will be needed to generate more human-relevant data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J. Henderson
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Tayside, DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Aileen W. McLaren
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Tayside, DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Yury Kapelyukh
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Tayside, DD1 9SY, UK
| | - C. Roland Wolf
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Tayside, DD1 9SY, UK
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Lattanzi A, Maddalo D. The CRISPR Revolution in the Drug Discovery Workflow: An Industry Perspective. CRISPR J 2022; 5:634-641. [PMID: 35917561 DOI: 10.1089/crispr.2022.0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In a relatively short time, the pharmaceutical industry has witnessed a rapid integration of the CRISPR technology in multiple areas of research, development, therapy, and diagnostics. A unique feature to this system compared with other technologies is the exceptional versatility in adapting to the broad range of needs across the drug discovery pipeline, such as target identification, cell engineering, and in vivo modeling. As a consequence, the CRISPR toolbox has been evolving to address key questions around preclinical and clinical drug development. In this review, we provide a high-level perspective of how CRISPR has impacted several aspects of the drug discovery workflow and the future ahead for this exciting technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa Lattanzi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Danilo Maddalo
- Department of Translational Oncology, Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, California, USA
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4
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Henderson CJ, McLaren AW, Kapelyukh Y, Wolf CR. Improving the predictive power of xenograft and syngeneic anti-tumour studies using mice humanised for pathways of drug metabolism. F1000Res 2022; 11:1081. [PMID: 37065929 PMCID: PMC10090862 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.122987.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug development is an expensive and time-consuming process, with only a small fraction of drugs gaining regulatory approval from the often many thousands of candidates identified during target validation. Once a lead compound has been identified and optimised, they are subject to intensive pre-clinical research to determine their pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties, procedures which inevitably involve significant numbers of animals - mainly mice and rats, but also dogs and monkeys in much smaller numbers and for specific types of drug candidates. Many compounds that emerge from this process, having been shown to be safe and efficacious in pre-clinical studies, subsequently fail to replicate this outcome in clinical trials, therefore wasting time, money and, most importantly, animals. The poor predictive power of animal models in pre-clinical studies is predominantly due to lack of efficacy or safety reasons, which in turn can be attributed mainly to the significant species differences in drug metabolism between humans and animals. To circumvent this, we have developed a complex transgenic mouse model – 8HUM - which faithfully replicates human Phase I drug metabolism (and its regulation), and which will generate more human-relevant data [REFINEMENT] from fewer animals [REDUCTION] in a pre-clinical setting and reduce attrition in the clinic. One key area for the pre-clinical application of animals in an oncology setting – almost exclusively mice - is their use in anti-tumour studies. We now further demonstrate the utility of the 8HUM mouse using a murine melanoma cell line as a syngeneic tumour and also present an immunodeficient version 8HUM_Rag2-/- - for use in xenograft studies. These models will be of significant benefit not only to Pharma for pre-clinical drug development work, but also throughout the drug efficacy, toxicology, pharmacology, and drug metabolism communities, where fewer animals will be needed to generate more human-relevant data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J. Henderson
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Tayside, DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Aileen W. McLaren
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Tayside, DD1 9SY, UK
| | - Yury Kapelyukh
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Tayside, DD1 9SY, UK
| | - C. Roland Wolf
- Division of Systems Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Tayside, DD1 9SY, UK
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Napoli GC, Figg WD, Chau CH. Functional Drug Screening in the Era of Precision Medicine. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:912641. [PMID: 35879922 PMCID: PMC9307928 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.912641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The focus of precision medicine is providing the right treatment to each unique patient. This scientific movement has incited monumental advances in oncology including the approval of effective, targeted agnostic therapies. Yet, precision oncology has focused largely on genomics in the treatment decision making process, and several recent clinical trials demonstrate that genomics is not the only variable to be considered. Drug screening in three dimensional (3D) models, including patient derived organoids, organs on a chip, xenografts, and 3D-bioprinted models provide a functional medicine perspective and necessary complement to genomic testing. In this review, we discuss the practicality of various 3D drug screening models and each model's ability to capture the patient's tumor microenvironment. We highlight the potential for enhancing precision medicine that personalized functional drug testing holds in combination with genomic testing and emerging mathematical models.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Cindy H. Chau
- Molecular Pharmacology Section, Genitourinary Malignancies Branch, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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Sekine K. Human Organoid and Supporting Technologies for Cancer and Toxicological Research. Front Genet 2021; 12:759366. [PMID: 34745227 PMCID: PMC8569236 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2021.759366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent progress in the field of organoid-based cell culture systems has enabled the use of patient-derived cells in conditions that resemble those in cancer tissue, which are better than two-dimensional (2D) cultured cell lines. In particular, organoids allow human cancer cells to be handled in conditions that resemble those in cancer tissue, resulting in more efficient establishment of cells compared with 2D cultured cell lines, thus enabling the use of multiple patient-derived cells with cells from different genetic background, in keeping with the heterogeneity of the cells. One of the most valuable points of using organoids is that human cells from either healthy or cancerous tissue can be used. Using genome editing technology such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein, organoid genomes can be modified to, for example, cancer-prone genomes. The normal, cancer, or genome-modified organoids can be used to evaluate whether chemicals have genotoxic or non-genotoxic carcinogenic activity by evaluating the cancer incidence, cancer progression, and cancer metastasis. In this review, the organoid technology and the accompanying technologies were summarized and the advantages of organoid-based toxicology and its application to pancreatic cancer study were discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Sekine
- Laboratory of Cancer Cell Systems, National Cancer Center Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
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