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Vrabič N, Fakin A, Tekavčič Pompe M. Spectrum and frequencies of extraocular features reported in CEP290-associated ciliopathy - A systematic review. J Fr Ophtalmol 2024; 47:104232. [PMID: 39213781 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfo.2024.104232] [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: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Pathogenic variants in the CEP290 gene may result in a broad spectrum of diseases, ranging from lethal neonatal syndromes to isolated retinopathy. A detailed review of the clinical spectrum with the incidence of affected extraocular systems has not yet been published. A review of published papers was carried out to provide a comprehensive report on systemic signs and symptoms associated with CEP290 ciliopathies and to explore the genotype-phenotype correlation. Genetic and clinical data were collected on patients with biallelic variants in the CEP290 gene and the extraocular tissues affected. Genotype-phenotype analysis was performed. Two hundred thirty-five patients were included in the analysis. The most frequently reported organs affected, after the eye, were the central nervous system (82.6%, 194/235), followed by the kidney (53.2%, 125/235), skeletal system (15.3% 36/235), and a large spectrum of other, less frequently reported clinical manifestations. Patients with two variants that together predictably resulted in a low amount of CEP290 protein showed a significant association with having two or more extraocular organ systems affected. This is the most extensive report to date on patients with CEP290-ciliopathy and affected extraocular tissues. Based on these findings and previous publications, systemic screening is proposed, together with a clinical pathway for patients with CEP290-related ciliopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Vrabič
- Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Grablovičeva 46, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - A Fakin
- Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Grablovičeva 46, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - M Tekavčič Pompe
- Eye Hospital, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Grablovičeva 46, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Vrazov trg 2, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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2
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Vázquez-Domínguez I, Anido AA, Duijkers L, Hoppenbrouwers T, Hoogendoorn ADM, Koster C, Collin RWJ, Garanto A. Efficacy, biodistribution and safety comparison of chemically modified antisense oligonucleotides in the retina. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae686. [PMID: 39119918 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/26/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) are a versatile tool for treating inherited retinal diseases. However, little is known about how different chemical modifications of AONs can affect their biodistribution, toxicity, and uptake in the retina. Here, we addressed this question by comparing splice-switching AONs with three different chemical modifications commonly used in a clinical setting (2'O-methyl-phosphorothioate (2-OMe/PS), 2'O-methoxyethyl-phosphoriate (2-MOE/PS), and phosphorodiamidite morpholino oligomers (PMO)). These AONs targeted genes exclusively expressed in certain types of retinal cells. Overall, studies in vitro and in vivo in C57BL/6J wild-type mouse retinas showed that 2-OMe/PS and 2-MOE/PS AONs have comparable efficacy and safety profiles. In contrast, octa-guanidine-dendrimer-conjugated in vivo PMO-oligonucleotides (ivPMO) caused toxicity. This was evidenced by externally visible ocular phenotypes in 88.5% of all ivPMO-treated animals, accompanied by severe alterations at the morphological level. However, delivery of unmodified PMO-AONs did not cause any toxicity, although it clearly reduced the efficacy. We conducted the first systematic comparison of different chemical modifications of AONs in the retina. Our results showed that the same AON sequence with different chemical modifications displayed different splicing modulation efficacies, suggesting the 2'MOE/PS modification as the most efficacious in these conditions. Thereby, our work provides important insights for future clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alejandro Allo Anido
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Human Genetics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lonneke Duijkers
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Human Genetics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tamara Hoppenbrouwers
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Human Genetics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anita D M Hoogendoorn
- Radboud university medical center, Amalia Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Céline Koster
- Departments of Human Genetics and Ophthalmology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Rob W J Collin
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Human Genetics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Garanto
- Radboud university medical center, Department of Human Genetics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud university medical center, Amalia Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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3
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Bocquet B, Borday C, Erkilic N, Mamaeva D, Donval A, Masson C, Parain K, Kaminska K, Quinodoz M, Perea-Romero I, Garcia-Garcia G, Jimenez-Medina C, Boukhaddaoui H, Coget A, Leboucq N, Calzetti G, Gandolfi S, Percesepe A, Barili V, Uliana V, Delsante M, Bozzetti F, Scholl HP, Corton M, Ayuso C, Millan JM, Rivolta C, Meunier I, Perron M, Kalatzis V. TBC1D32 variants disrupt retinal ciliogenesis and cause retinitis pigmentosa. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e169426. [PMID: 37768732 PMCID: PMC10721274 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.169426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the most common inherited retinal disease (IRD) and is characterized by photoreceptor degeneration and progressive vision loss. We report 4 patients presenting with RP from 3 unrelated families with variants in TBC1D32, which to date has never been associated with an IRD. To validate TBC1D32 as a putative RP causative gene, we combined Xenopus in vivo approaches and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived (iPSC-derived) retinal models. Our data showed that TBC1D32 was expressed during retinal development and that it played an important role in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) differentiation. Furthermore, we identified a role for TBC1D32 in ciliogenesis of the RPE. We demonstrated elongated ciliary defects that resulted in disrupted apical tight junctions, loss of functionality (delayed retinoid cycling and altered secretion balance), and the onset of an epithelial-mesenchymal transition-like phenotype. Last, our results suggested photoreceptor differentiation defects, including connecting cilium anomalies, that resulted in impaired trafficking to the outer segment in cones and rods in TBC1D32 iPSC-derived retinal organoids. Overall, our data highlight a critical role for TBC1D32 in the retina and demonstrate that TBC1D32 mutations lead to RP. We thus identify TBC1D32 as an IRD-causative gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Béatrice Bocquet
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier, France
- National Reference Centre for Inherited Sensory Diseases, University of Montpellier, CHU, Montpellier, France
| | - Caroline Borday
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Nejla Erkilic
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier, France
- National Reference Centre for Inherited Sensory Diseases, University of Montpellier, CHU, Montpellier, France
| | - Daria Mamaeva
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| | - Alicia Donval
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Christel Masson
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Karine Parain
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Karolina Kaminska
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mathieu Quinodoz
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Perea-Romero
- Department of Genetics, Health Research Institute-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gema Garcia-Garcia
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Molecular, Cellular and Genomics Biomedicine Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe), Valencia, Spain
- Joint Unit of Rare Diseases, IIS La Fe-Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carla Jimenez-Medina
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| | - Hassan Boukhaddaoui
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier, France
| | - Arthur Coget
- Department of Neuroradiology and
- Institute for Human Functional Imaging (I2FH), University of Montpellier, CHU, Montpellier, France
| | | | - Giacomo Calzetti
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Medicine and Surgery
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Francesca Bozzetti
- Neuroradiology Unit, Diagnostic Department, University Hospital of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Hendrik P.N. Scholl
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marta Corton
- Department of Genetics, Health Research Institute-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Ayuso
- Department of Genetics, Health Research Institute-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (IIS-FJD, UAM), Madrid, Spain
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose M. Millan
- Center for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Molecular, Cellular and Genomics Biomedicine Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe (IIS La Fe), Valencia, Spain
- Joint Unit of Rare Diseases, IIS La Fe-Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carlo Rivolta
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel (IOB), Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Isabelle Meunier
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier, France
- National Reference Centre for Inherited Sensory Diseases, University of Montpellier, CHU, Montpellier, France
| | - Muriel Perron
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Saclay, France
| | - Vasiliki Kalatzis
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, Inserm, Montpellier, France
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Sanjurjo-Soriano C, Jimenez-Medina C, Erkilic N, Cappellino L, Lefevre A, Nagel-Wolfrum K, Wolfrum U, Van Wijk E, Roux AF, Meunier I, Kalatzis V. USH2A variants causing retinitis pigmentosa or Usher syndrome provoke differential retinal phenotypes in disease-specific organoids. HGG ADVANCES 2023; 4:100229. [PMID: 37654703 PMCID: PMC10465966 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2023.100229] [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: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
There is an emblematic clinical and genetic heterogeneity associated with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). The most common form is retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a rod-cone dystrophy caused by pathogenic variants in over 80 different genes. Further complexifying diagnosis, different variants in individual RP genes can also alter the clinical phenotype. USH2A is the most prevalent gene for autosomal-recessive RP and one of the most challenging because of its large size and, hence, large number of variants. Moreover, USH2A variants give rise to non-syndromic and syndromic RP, known as Usher syndrome (USH) type 2, which is associated with vision and hearing loss. The lack of a clear genotype-phenotype correlation or prognostic models renders diagnosis highly challenging. We report here a long-awaited differential non-syndromic RP and USH phenotype in three human disease-specific models: fibroblasts, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and mature iPSC-derived retinal organoids. Moreover, we identified distinct retinal phenotypes in organoids from multiple RP and USH individuals, which were validated by isogenic-corrected controls. Non-syndromic RP organoids showed compromised photoreceptor differentiation, whereas USH organoids showed a striking and unexpected cone phenotype. Furthermore, complementary clinical investigations identified macular atrophy in a high proportion of USH compared with RP individuals, further validating our observations that USH2A variants differentially affect cones. Overall, identification of distinct non-syndromic RP and USH phenotypes in multiple models provides valuable and robust readouts for testing the pathogenicity of USH2A variants as well as the efficacy of therapeutic approaches in complementary cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Sanjurjo-Soriano
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Carla Jimenez-Medina
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Nejla Erkilic
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Luisina Cappellino
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Arnaud Lefevre
- National Reference Centre for Inherited Sensory Diseases, University of Montpellier, CHU, Montpellier, France
| | - Kerstin Nagel-Wolfrum
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology, and Photoreceptor Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Developmental Biology and Neurobiology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Uwe Wolfrum
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Molecular Cell Biology, and Photoreceptor Cell Biology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Erwin Van Wijk
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hearing, & Genes, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anne-Françoise Roux
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, University of Montpellier, CHU, Montpellier, France
| | - Isabelle Meunier
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
- National Reference Centre for Inherited Sensory Diseases, University of Montpellier, CHU, Montpellier, France
| | - Vasiliki Kalatzis
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier (INM), University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
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5
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Keuthan CJ, Karma S, Zack DJ. Alternative RNA Splicing in the Retina: Insights and Perspectives. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2023; 13:a041313. [PMID: 36690463 PMCID: PMC10547393 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Alternative splicing is a fundamental and highly regulated post-transcriptional process that enhances transcriptome and proteome diversity. This process is particularly important in neuronal tissues, such as the retina, which exhibit some of the highest levels of differentially spliced genes in the body. Alternative splicing is regulated both temporally and spatially during neuronal development, can be cell-type-specific, and when altered can cause a number of pathologies, including retinal degeneration. Advancements in high-throughput sequencing technologies have facilitated investigations of the alternative splicing landscape of the retina in both healthy and disease states. Additionally, innovations in human stem cell engineering, specifically in the generation of 3D retinal organoids, which recapitulate many aspects of the in vivo retinal microenvironment, have aided studies of the role of alternative splicing in human retinal development and degeneration. Here we review these advances and discuss the ongoing development of strategies for the treatment of alternative splicing-related retinal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey J Keuthan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, USA
| | - Sadik Karma
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, USA
| | - Donald J Zack
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Neuroscience, Molecular Biology and Genetics, and Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21231, USA
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6
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Song J, Dong L, Sun H, Luo N, Huang Q, Li K, Shen X, Jiang Z, Lv Z, Peng L, Zhang M, Wang K, Liu K, Hong J, Yi C. CRISPR-free, programmable RNA pseudouridylation to suppress premature termination codons. Mol Cell 2023; 83:139-155.e9. [PMID: 36521489 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2022.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Nonsense mutations, accounting for >20% of disease-associated mutations, lead to premature translation termination. Replacing uridine with pseudouridine in stop codons suppresses translation termination, which could be harnessed to mediate readthrough of premature termination codons (PTCs). Here, we present RESTART, a programmable RNA base editor, to revert PTC-induced translation termination in mammalian cells. RESTART utilizes an engineered guide snoRNA (gsnoRNA) and the endogenous H/ACA box snoRNP machinery to achieve precise pseudouridylation. We also identified and optimized gsnoRNA scaffolds to increase the editing efficiency. Unexpectedly, we found that a minor isoform of pseudouridine synthase DKC1, lacking a C-terminal nuclear localization signal, greatly improved the PTC-readthrough efficiency. Although RESTART induced restricted off-target pseudouridylation, they did not change the coding information nor the expression level of off-targets. Finally, RESTART enables robust pseudouridylation in primary cells and achieves functional PTC readthrough in disease-relevant contexts. Collectively, RESTART is a promising RNA-editing tool for research and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinghui Song
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Liting Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Hanxiao Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Nan Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Qiang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Kai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC; Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Xiaowen Shen
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Zhe Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Zhicong Lv
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Luxin Peng
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | | | - Kun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, PRC
| | - Jiaxu Hong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Eye and Ear, Nose, Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, PRC
| | - Chengqi Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC; Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, PRC; Department of Chemical Biology and Synthetic and Functional Biomolecules Center, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, PRC.
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7
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Vázquez-Domínguez I, Duijkers L, Fadaie Z, Alaerds ECW, Post MA, van Oosten EM, O’Gorman L, Kwint M, Koolen L, Hoogendoorn ADM, Kroes HY, Gilissen C, Cremers FPM, Collin RWJ, Roosing S, Garanto A. The Predicted Splicing Variant c.11+5G>A in RPE65 Leads to a Reduction in mRNA Expression in a Cell-Specific Manner. Cells 2022; 11:3640. [PMID: 36429068 PMCID: PMC9688607 DOI: 10.3390/cells11223640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic variants in RPE65 lead to retinal diseases, causing a vision impairment. In this work, we investigated the pathomechanism behind the frequent RPE65 variant, c.11+5G>A. Previous in silico predictions classified this change as a splice variant. Our prediction using novel software's suggested a 124-nt exon elongation containing a premature stop codon. This elongation was validated using midigenes-based approaches. Similar results were observed in patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) and photoreceptor precursor cells. However, the splicing defect in all cases was detected at low levels and thereby does not fully explain the recessive condition of the resulting disease. Long-read sequencing discarded other rearrangements or variants that could explain the diseases. Subsequently, a more relevant model was employed: iPSC-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. In patient-derived iPSC-RPE cells, the expression of RPE65 was strongly reduced even after inhibiting a nonsense-mediated decay, contradicting the predicted splicing defect. Additional experiments demonstrated a cell-specific gene expression reduction due to the presence of the c.11+5G>A variant. This decrease also leads to the lack of the RPE65 protein, and differences in size and pigmentation between the patient and control iPSC-RPE. Altogether, our data suggest that the c.11+5G>A variant causes a cell-specific defect in the expression of RPE65 rather than the anticipated splicing defect which was predicted in silico.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Vázquez-Domínguez
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lonneke Duijkers
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Zeinab Fadaie
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Eef C. W. Alaerds
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Merel A. Post
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Edwin M. van Oosten
- Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children’s Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Luke O’Gorman
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Kwint
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Louet Koolen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anita D. M. Hoogendoorn
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hester Y. Kroes
- Division Laboratories, Pharmacy and Biomedical Genetics, Clinical Genetics, University Medical Center of Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Gilissen
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Frans P. M. Cremers
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Rob W. J. Collin
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Susanne Roosing
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Garanto
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Amalia Children’s Hospital, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Radboud Institute of Molecular Life Sciences (RIMLS), Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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8
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Antisense RNA Therapeutics: A Brief Overview. METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (CLIFTON, N.J.) 2022; 2434:33-49. [PMID: 35213008 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2010-6_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acid therapeutics is a growing field aiming to treat human conditions that has gained special attention due to the successful development of mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Another type of nucleic acid therapeutics is antisense oligonucleotides, versatile tools that can be used in multiple ways to target pre-mRNA and mRNA. While some years ago these molecules were just considered a useful research tool and a curiosity in the clinical market, this has rapidly changed. These molecules are promising strategies for personalized treatments for rare genetic diseases and they are in development for very common disorders too. In this chapter, we provide a brief description of the different mechanisms of action of these RNA therapeutic molecules, with clear examples at preclinical and clinical stages.
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Barroso‐Gil M, Olinger E, Ramsbottom SA, Molinari E, Miles CG, Sayer JA. Update of genetic variants in CEP120 and CC2D2A-With an emphasis on genotype-phenotype correlations, tissue specific transcripts and exploring mutation specific exon skipping therapies. Mol Genet Genomic Med 2021; 9:e1603. [PMID: 33486889 PMCID: PMC8683696 DOI: 10.1002/mgg3.1603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mutations in ciliary genes cause a spectrum of both overlapping and distinct clinical syndromes (ciliopathies). CEP120 and CC2D2A are paradigmatic examples for this genetic heterogeneity and pleiotropy as mutations in both cause Joubert syndrome but are also associated with skeletal ciliopathies and Meckel syndrome, respectively. The molecular basis for this phenotypical variability is not understood but basal exon skipping likely contributes to tolerance for deleterious mutations via tissue-specific preservation of the amount of expressed functional protein. METHODS We systematically reviewed and annotated genetic variants and clinical presentations reported in CEP120- and CC2D2A-associated disease and we combined in silico and ex vivo approaches to study tissue-specific transcripts and identify molecular targets for exon skipping. RESULTS We confirmed more severe clinical presentations associated with truncating CC2D2A mutations. We identified and confirmed basal exon skipping in the kidney, with possible relevance for organ-specific disease manifestations. Finally, we proposed a multimodal approach to classify exons amenable to exon skipping. By mapping reported variants, 14 truncating mutations in 7 CC2D2A exons were identified as potentially rescuable by targeted exon skipping, an approach that is already in clinical use for other inherited human diseases. CONCLUSION Genotype-phenotype correlations for CC2D2A support the deleteriousness of null alleles and CC2D2A, but not CEP120, offers potential for therapeutic exon skipping approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Barroso‐Gil
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
| | - Eric Olinger
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
| | - Simon A. Ramsbottom
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
| | - Elisa Molinari
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
| | - Colin G. Miles
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
| | - John A. Sayer
- Translational and Clinical Research InstituteFaculty of Medical SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
- Renal ServicesThe Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustNewcastle Upon TyneUK
- NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research CentreNewcastle UniversityNewcastle Upon TyneUK
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Schneider N, Sundaresan Y, Gopalakrishnan P, Beryozkin A, Hanany M, Levanon EY, Banin E, Ben-Aroya S, Sharon D. Inherited retinal diseases: Linking genes, disease-causing variants, and relevant therapeutic modalities. Prog Retin Eye Res 2021; 89:101029. [PMID: 34839010 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.101029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are a clinically complex and heterogenous group of visual impairment phenotypes caused by pathogenic variants in at least 277 nuclear and mitochondrial genes, affecting different retinal regions, and depleting the vision of affected individuals. Genes that cause IRDs when mutated are unique by possessing differing genotype-phenotype correlations, varying inheritance patterns, hypomorphic alleles, and modifier genes thus complicating genetic interpretation. Next-generation sequencing has greatly advanced the identification of novel IRD-related genes and pathogenic variants in the last decade. For this review, we performed an in-depth literature search which allowed for compilation of the Global Retinal Inherited Disease (GRID) dataset containing 4,798 discrete variants and 17,299 alleles published in 31 papers, showing a wide range of frequencies and complexities among the 194 genes reported in GRID, with 65% of pathogenic variants being unique to a single individual. A better understanding of IRD-related gene distribution, gene complexity, and variant types allow for improved genetic testing and therapies. Current genetic therapeutic methods are also quite diverse and rely on variant identification, and range from whole gene replacement to single nucleotide editing at the DNA or RNA levels. IRDs and their suitable therapies thus require a range of effective disease modelling in human cells, granting insight into disease mechanisms and testing of possible treatments. This review summarizes genetic and therapeutic modalities of IRDs, provides new analyses of IRD-related genes (GRID and complexity scores), and provides information to match genetic-based therapies such as gene-specific and variant-specific therapies to the appropriate individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Schneider
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Yogapriya Sundaresan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Prakadeeswari Gopalakrishnan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Avigail Beryozkin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Mor Hanany
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Erez Y Levanon
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Eyal Banin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel
| | - Shay Ben-Aroya
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, 5290002, Israel
| | - Dror Sharon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
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11
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Marconi S, Stout JT. PDE6B Mutation-associated Inherited Retinal Disease. Int Ophthalmol Clin 2021; 61:133-142. [PMID: 34584050 DOI: 10.1097/iio.0000000000000367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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Testa F, Sodi A, Signorini S, Di Iorio V, Murro V, Brunetti-Pierri R, Valente EM, Karali M, Melillo P, Banfi S, Simonelli F. Spectrum of Disease Severity in Nonsyndromic Patients With Mutations in the CEP290 Gene: A Multicentric Longitudinal Study. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2021; 62:1. [PMID: 34196655 PMCID: PMC8267213 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.62.9.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to perform a detailed longitudinal phenotyping and genetic characterization of 32 Italian patients with a nonsyndromic retinal dystrophy and mutations in the CEP290 gene. Methods We reviewed the clinical history and examinations of 32 patients with a nonsyndromic retinal dystrophy due to mutations in the CEP290 gene, followed up (mean follow-up: 5.9 years) at 3 Italian centers. The clinical examinations included: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), optical coherence tomography (OCT), and full-field electroretinogram (ERG). Results Patients (mean age = 19.0 ± 3.4 years) had a mean BCVA of 1.73 ± 0.20 logMAR. Longitudinal analysis of BCVA showed a nonsignificant decline. Central retinal thickness (CRT) declined significantly with age at an exponential rate of 1.0%/year (P = 0.001). At disease onset, most patients (19/32; 49.4%) had nystagmus. The absence of nystagmus was significantly associated with better BCVA and more preserved CRT (P < 0.05). ERG showed undetectable responses in most patients (64.0%), whereas reduced scotopic and photopic responses were observed in four patients (16.0%) who had no nystagmus. We identified 35 different variants, among which 12 were novel. Our genotype-phenotype correlation analysis shows a significantly worse BCVA in patients harboring a loss-of-function mutation and the deep-intronic variant c.2991+1655A>G. Conclusions Our study highlights a mild phenotype of the disease, characterized by absence of nystagmus, good visual acuity, considerably preserved retinal morphology, and recordable ERG, confirming the wide spectrum of CEP290-related retinal dystrophies. Finally, in our cohort, the deep intronic variant c.2991+1655A>G was associated with a more severe phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Testa
- Eye Clinic, Multidisciplinary Department of Medical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Sodi
- Eye Clinic, Neuromuscolar and Sense Organs Department, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Sabrina Signorini
- Unit of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, IRCCS C. Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | - Valentina Di Iorio
- Eye Clinic, Multidisciplinary Department of Medical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Vittoria Murro
- Eye Clinic, Neuromuscolar and Sense Organs Department, Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Raffaella Brunetti-Pierri
- Eye Clinic, Multidisciplinary Department of Medical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Enza Maria Valente
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy.,Neurogenetics Unit, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Marianthi Karali
- Eye Clinic, Multidisciplinary Department of Medical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy.,Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Paolo Melillo
- Eye Clinic, Multidisciplinary Department of Medical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Sandro Banfi
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, Italy.,Medical Genetics, Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Simonelli
- Eye Clinic, Multidisciplinary Department of Medical, Surgical and Dental Sciences, Università degli Studi della Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli", Naples, Italy
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Molecular genetics of renal ciliopathies. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:1205-1220. [PMID: 33960378 DOI: 10.1042/bst20200791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Renal ciliopathies are a heterogenous group of inherited disorders leading to an array of phenotypes that include cystic kidney disease and renal interstitial fibrosis leading to progressive chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease. The renal tubules are lined with epithelial cells that possess primary cilia that project into the lumen and act as sensory and signalling organelles. Mutations in genes encoding ciliary proteins involved in the structure and function of primary cilia cause ciliopathy syndromes and affect many organ systems including the kidney. Recognised disease phenotypes associated with primary ciliopathies that have a strong renal component include autosomal dominant and recessive polycystic kidney disease and their various mimics, including atypical polycystic kidney disease and nephronophthisis. The molecular investigation of inherited renal ciliopathies often allows a precise diagnosis to be reached where renal histology and other investigations have been unhelpful and can help in determining kidney prognosis. With increasing molecular insights, it is now apparent that renal ciliopathies form a continuum of clinical phenotypes with disease entities that have been classically described as dominant or recessive at both extremes of the spectrum. Gene-dosage effects, hypomorphic alleles, modifier genes and digenic inheritance further contribute to the genetic complexity of these disorders. This review will focus on recent molecular genetic advances in the renal ciliopathy field with a focus on cystic kidney disease phenotypes and the genotypes that lead to them. We discuss recent novel insights into underlying disease mechanisms of renal ciliopathies that might be amenable to therapeutic intervention.
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14
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Morais P, Adachi H, Yu YT. Suppression of Nonsense Mutations by New Emerging Technologies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21124394. [PMID: 32575694 PMCID: PMC7352488 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21124394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nonsense mutations often result from single nucleotide substitutions that change a sense codon (coding for an amino acid) to a nonsense or premature termination codon (PTC) within the coding region of a gene. The impact of nonsense mutations is two-fold: (1) the PTC-containing mRNA is degraded by a surveillance pathway called nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) and (2) protein translation stops prematurely at the PTC codon, and thus no functional full-length protein is produced. As such, nonsense mutations result in a large number of human diseases. Nonsense suppression is a strategy that aims to correct the defects of hundreds of genetic disorders and reverse disease phenotypes and conditions. While most clinical trials have been performed with small molecules, there is an increasing need for sequence-specific repair approaches that are safer and adaptable to personalized medicine. Here, we discuss recent advances in both conventional strategies as well as new technologies. Several of these will soon be tested in clinical trials as nonsense therapies, even if they still have some limitations and challenges to overcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Morais
- ProQR Therapeutics, Zernikedreef 9, 2333 CK Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Hironori Adachi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
| | - Yi-Tao Yu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center for RNA Biology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14642, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(585)-275-1271; Fax: +1-(585)-275-6007
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Vázquez-Domínguez I, Garanto A, Collin RWJ. Molecular Therapies for Inherited Retinal Diseases-Current Standing, Opportunities and Challenges. Genes (Basel) 2019; 10:genes10090654. [PMID: 31466352 PMCID: PMC6770110 DOI: 10.3390/genes10090654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are both genetically and clinically highly heterogeneous and have long been considered incurable. Following the successful development of a gene augmentation therapy for biallelic RPE65-associated IRD, this view has changed. As a result, many different therapeutic approaches are currently being developed, in particular a large variety of molecular therapies. These are depending on the severity of the retinal degeneration, knowledge of the pathophysiological mechanism underlying each subtype of IRD, and the therapeutic target molecule. DNA therapies include approaches such as gene augmentation therapy, genome editing and optogenetics. For some genetic subtypes of IRD, RNA therapies and compound therapies have also shown considerable therapeutic potential. In this review, we summarize the current state-of-the-art of various therapeutic approaches, including the pros and cons of each strategy, and outline the future challenges that lie ahead in the combat against IRDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Vázquez-Domínguez
- Department of Human Genetics and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Garanto
- Department of Human Genetics and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Rob W J Collin
- Department of Human Genetics and Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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