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Ukraintseva S, Yashkin AP, Akushevich I, Arbeev K, Duan H, Gorbunova G, Stallard E, Yashin A. Associations of infections and vaccines with Alzheimer's disease point to a role of compromised immunity rather than specific pathogen in AD. Exp Gerontol 2024; 190:112411. [PMID: 38548241 PMCID: PMC11060001 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2024.112411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Diverse pathogens (viral, bacterial, fungal) have been associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related traits in various studies. This suggests that compromised immunity, rather than specific microbes, may play a role in AD by increasing an individual's vulnerability to various infections, which could contribute to neurodegeneration. If true, then vaccines that have heterologous effects on immunity, extending beyond protection against the targeted disease, may hold a potential for AD prevention. METHODS We evaluated the associations of common adult infections (herpes simplex, zoster (shingles), pneumonia, and recurrent mycoses), and vaccinations against shingles and pneumonia, with the risks of AD and other dementias in a pseudorandomized sample of the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). RESULTS Shingles, pneumonia and mycoses, diagnosed between ages 65 and 75, were all associated with significantly increased risk of AD later in life, by 16 %-42 %. Pneumococcal and shingles vaccines administered between ages 65-75 were both associated with a significantly lower risk of AD, by 15 %-21 %. These effects became less pronounced when AD was combined with other dementias. DISCUSSION Our findings suggest that both the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and the live attenuated zoster vaccine can offer significant protection against AD. It remains to be determined if non-live shingles vaccine has a similar beneficial effect on AD. This study also found significant associations of various infections with the risk of AD, but not with the risks of other dementias. This indicates that vulnerability to infections may play a more significant role in AD than in other types of dementia, which warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Ukraintseva
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Arseniy P Yashkin
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Igor Akushevich
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Konstantin Arbeev
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hongzhe Duan
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Galina Gorbunova
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Eric Stallard
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Anatoliy Yashin
- Biodemography of Aging Research Unit, Social Science Research Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Munkwase G. Implications of vaccine non-specific effects on licensure of new vaccines. Vaccine 2024; 42:1013-1021. [PMID: 38242737 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Immune memory was for a long time thought to be an exclusive feature of the adaptive immune system. Emerging evidence has shown that the innate immune system may exhibit memory which has been termed as trained immunity or innate immune memory. Trained immunity following vaccination may produce non-specific effects leading to reduction in morbidity and mortality from heterologous pathogens. This review looked at trained immunity as a mechanism for vaccine induced non-specific effects, mechanisms underlying trained immunity and known vaccine non-specific effects. A discussion is also made on the implications these vaccine non-specific effects may have on overall risk-benefit ratio evaluation by National Medicines Regulatory Authorities (NMRAs) during licensure of new vaccines. Epigenetic remodeling and "rewiring" of cellular metabolism in the innate immune cells especially monocytes, macrophages, and Natural Killer (NK) cells have been suggested to be the mechanisms underlying trained immunity. Trained immunity in other innate cells has largely remained elusive up to date. Non-specific effects have been extensively documented with Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG), measles vaccine and oral polio vaccine but it remains unclear if other vaccines may exhibit similar effects. All known vaccine non-specific effects have come from observations in epidemiological studies conducted post-vaccine licensure and roll out in target populations. It remains to be seen if early identification of non-specific effects especially those with protective benefits during the clinical development of new vaccines may contribute to the overall risk-benefit ratio evaluation during licensure by NMRAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant Munkwase
- National Drug Authority, Plot 93, Buganda Road, Kampala, Uganda; African Leadership in Vaccinology Expertise (ALIVE), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
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Chehelgerdi M, Chehelgerdi M, Khorramian-Ghahfarokhi M, Shafieizadeh M, Mahmoudi E, Eskandari F, Rashidi M, Arshi A, Mokhtari-Farsani A. Comprehensive review of CRISPR-based gene editing: mechanisms, challenges, and applications in cancer therapy. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:9. [PMID: 38195537 PMCID: PMC10775503 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01925-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR system is a revolutionary genome editing tool that has the potential to revolutionize the field of cancer research and therapy. The ability to precisely target and edit specific genetic mutations that drive the growth and spread of tumors has opened up new possibilities for the development of more effective and personalized cancer treatments. In this review, we will discuss the different CRISPR-based strategies that have been proposed for cancer therapy, including inactivating genes that drive tumor growth, enhancing the immune response to cancer cells, repairing genetic mutations that cause cancer, and delivering cancer-killing molecules directly to tumor cells. We will also summarize the current state of preclinical studies and clinical trials of CRISPR-based cancer therapy, highlighting the most promising results and the challenges that still need to be overcome. Safety and delivery are also important challenges for CRISPR-based cancer therapy to become a viable clinical option. We will discuss the challenges and limitations that need to be overcome, such as off-target effects, safety, and delivery to the tumor site. Finally, we will provide an overview of the current challenges and opportunities in the field of CRISPR-based cancer therapy and discuss future directions for research and development. The CRISPR system has the potential to change the landscape of cancer research, and this review aims to provide an overview of the current state of the field and the challenges that need to be overcome to realize this potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Chehelgerdi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran.
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Matin Chehelgerdi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Milad Khorramian-Ghahfarokhi
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Esmaeil Mahmoudi
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Eskandari
- Faculty of Molecular and Cellular Biology -Genetics, Islamic Azad University of Falavarjan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohsen Rashidi
- Department Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- The Health of Plant and Livestock Products Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Asghar Arshi
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
| | - Abbas Mokhtari-Farsani
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Department of Biology, Nourdanesh Institute of Higher Education, Meymeh, Isfahan, Iran
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Pittet LF, Moore CL, McDonald E, Barry S, Bonten M, Campbell J, Croda J, Dalcolmo M, Davidson A, Douglas MW, Gardiner K, Gwee A, Jardim B, Lacerda MV, Lucas M, Lynn DJ, Manning L, de Oliveira RD, Perrett KP, Prat-Aymerich C, Richmond PC, Rocha JL, Rodriguez-Baño J, Warris A, Wood NJ, Messina NL, Curtis N. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination for protection against recurrent herpes labialis: a nested randomised controlled trial. EClinicalMedicine 2023; 64:102203. [PMID: 37719417 PMCID: PMC10500555 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Recurrences of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in the orofacial region (herpes labialis or cold sores) impact quality-of-life. We aimed to study whether the bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine can attenuate cold sore recurrences through off-target immunomodulatory effects. Methods In this nested randomised controlled trial within the multicentre, phase 3 BRACE trial, 6828 healthcare workers were randomised in 36 sites in Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and Brazil, to receive BCG-Denmark or no BCG (1:1 ratio using a web-based procedure) and followed for 12 months with 3-monthly questionnaires. Exclusion criteria included contraindication to BCG vaccine or previous vaccination with BCG within the past year, any other live-attenuated vaccine within the last month, or any COVID-specific vaccine. The intervention group received one intradermal dose of 0.1 mL of BCG-Denmark corresponding to 2-8 x 105 colony forming units of Mycobacterium bovis, Danish strain 1331. The primary outcome was the difference in restricted mean survival time (i.e., time to first cold-sore recurrence), in participants with frequent recurrent herpes labialis (≥4 recurrences/year), analysed by intention-to-treat. Secondary outcomes addressed additional questions, including analyses in other sub-populations. Adverse events were monitored closely during the first 3 months and were reported in all participants who received one dose of study drug according to intervention received. The BRACE trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04327206. Findings Between March 30, 2020 and February 18, 2021, 84 individuals with frequent recurrent cold sores were randomly assigned to BCG (n = 38) or control (n = 46). The average time to first cold-sore recurrence was 1.55 months longer in the BCG group (95% CI 0.27-2.82, p = 0.02) than the control group (hazard ratio 0.54, 95% CI 0.32-0.91; intention-to-treat). The beneficial effect of BCG was greater in the as-treated population (difference 1.91 months, 95% CI 0.69-3.12, p = 0.003; hazard ratio 0.45, 95% CI 0.26-0.76). In prespecified subgroup analyses, only sex modified the treatment effect (interaction p = 0.007), with benefit restricted to males. Over 12 months, a greater proportion of participants in the BCG group compared with the control group reported a decrease in duration (61% vs 21%), severity (74% vs 21%), frequency (55% vs 21%), and impact on quality of life (42% vs 15%) of cold sore recurrences. In participants who had ever had a cold sore, there was also a decrease in self-reported burden of recurrences in the BCG group. In participants who had never had a cold sore, there was an increased risk of a first episode in the BCG group (risk difference 1.4%; 95% CI 0.3-2.6%, p = 0.02). There were no safety concerns. Interpretation BCG-Denmark vaccination had a beneficial effect on herpes labialis, particularly in males with frequent recurrences, but may increase the risk of a first cold sore. Funding Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Minderoo Foundation, Sarah and Lachlan Murdoch, the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation, Health Services Union NSW, the Peter Sowerby Foundation, SA Health, the Insurance Advisernet Foundation, the NAB Foundation, the Calvert-Jones Foundation, the Modara Pines Charitable Foundation, the UHG Foundation Pty Ltd, Epworth Healthcare, and individual donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure F. Pittet
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Immunology, Vaccinology, and Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obsterics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva and University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cecilia L. Moore
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Children's Trial Centre, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ellie McDonald
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simone Barry
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Marc Bonten
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - John Campbell
- Exeter Collaboration for Academic Primary Care, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Julio Croda
- Fiocruz Mato Grosso do Sul, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Campo Grande, Brazil
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
| | - Margareth Dalcolmo
- Helio Fraga Reference Center, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Ministry of Health, Curicica, Brazil
- Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Andrew Davidson
- Melbourne Children's Trial Centre, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mark W. Douglas
- Storr Liver Centre, The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- Centre for Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Sydney Infectious Diseases Institute, The University of Sydney at Westmead Hospital, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kaya Gardiner
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Research Operations, The Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Amanda Gwee
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bruno Jardim
- Institute of Clinical Research Carlos Borborema, Doctor Heitor Vieira Dourado Tropical Medicine Foundation, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Marcus V.G. Lacerda
- Institute of Clinical Research Carlos Borborema, Doctor Heitor Vieira Dourado Tropical Medicine Foundation, Manaus, Brazil
- Instituto Leônidas & Maria Deane, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Ministry of Health, Manaus, Brazil
- University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
| | - Michaela Lucas
- Department of Immunology, Pathwest, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Immunology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Immunology and General Paediatrics, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - David J. Lynn
- Precision Medicine Theme, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Laurens Manning
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Murdoch, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Roberto D. de Oliveira
- Nursing Course, State University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Dourados, Brazil
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Grande Dourados, Dourados, Brazil
| | - Kirsten P. Perrett
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Melbourne Children's Trial Centre, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Allergy and Immunology, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Cristina Prat-Aymerich
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
- Institut d'Investigació Germans Trias i Pujol, Departament de Genètica i Microbiologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red (CIBER) de Enfermedades Respiratorias, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Peter C. Richmond
- Department of Immunology and General Paediatrics, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
- Wesfarmers Centre for Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kids Institute, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jorge L. Rocha
- Helio Fraga Reference Center, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation Ministry of Health, Curicica, Brazil
| | - Jesus Rodriguez-Baño
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Department of Medicine, Hospital Universitario Virgen Macarena, University of Seville, Biomedicines Institute of Seville-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Seville, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carloss III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Adilia Warris
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas J. Wood
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
- National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance of Vaccine Preventable Disease, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicole L. Messina
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Nigel Curtis
- Infectious Diseases Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Infectious Diseases, Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Adlimoghaddam A, Allen GJP, O'Donnell MJ, Treberg JR, Weihrauch D. Gene knockout of NHX-3 in the soil nematode Caenorhabditis elegans leads to broad-spectrum compensatory regulation of Na +/H + exchangers, antiporters, and the V-type H +-ATPase. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2023:111455. [PMID: 37263376 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.111455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Na+/H+ exchangers are directly involved in a variety of an animal's essential physiological processes such as ionoregulation, acid-base regulation, nitrogenous waste excretion, and nutrient absorption. While nine NHX isoforms have been identified in Caenorhabditis elegans, the physiological importance of each isoform is not understood. The current study aimed to further our knowledge of NHX-3 which has previously been suggested to be involved in the movement of ammonia and acid-base equivalents across the nematode's hypodermis. Although NHX-3 knockout mutant nematodes exported H+ and imported Na+ at slower rates than wild-type nematodes, attempts to inhibit the NHX activity of mutant nematodes using amiloride and EIPA caused an unexpected increase in hypodermal H+ export and did not impact Na+ fluxes suggesting that the different H+ and Na+ transport profiles of the nematodes are likely due to compensatory changes in the mutants in response to the NHX-3 knockout, rather than the loss of NHX-3's physiological function. Significant changes in the mRNA expression of 7 other NHX isoforms, 2 Na+/H+ antiporter isoforms, and the V-type H+-ATPase were detected between wild-type and mutant nematodes. Furthermore, mutant nematodes possessed significantly reduced rates of cytochrome C oxidase activity and ammonia excretion rates, indicating the knockout of NHX-3 induced fundamental changes in metabolism that could impact the nematode's need to eliminate metabolic end-products like H+ and ammonia that relate to NHX transport. While C. elegans is a popular genetic model with cheap and accessible commercial mutants, our findings suggest caution in interpretation of results in studies using mutants to study physiological traits and the biological significance of specific transporters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aida Adlimoghaddam
- Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | | | | | - Jason R Treberg
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Dirk Weihrauch
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
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Lin J, Gettings SM, Talbi K, Schreiber R, Taggart MJ, Preller M, Kunzelmann K, Althaus M, Gray MA. Pharmacological inhibitors of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator exert off-target effects on epithelial cation channels. Pflugers Arch 2023; 475:167-179. [PMID: 36205782 PMCID: PMC9849171 DOI: 10.1007/s00424-022-02758-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) anion channel and the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) play essential roles in transepithelial ion and fluid transport in numerous epithelial tissues. Inhibitors of both channels have been important tools for defining their physiological role in vitro. However, two commonly used CFTR inhibitors, CFTRinh-172 and GlyH-101, also inhibit non-CFTR anion channels, indicating they are not CFTR specific. However, the potential off-target effects of these inhibitors on epithelial cation channels has to date not been addressed. Here, we show that both CFTR blockers, at concentrations routinely employed by many researchers, caused a significant inhibition of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE) that was time-dependent, poorly reversible and independent of CFTR. Patch clamp experiments showed that both CFTRinh-172 and GlyH-101 caused a significant block of Orai1-mediated whole cell currents, establishing that they likely reduce SOCE via modulation of this Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channel. In addition to off-target effects on calcium channels, both inhibitors significantly reduced human αβγ-ENaC-mediated currents after heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes, but had differential effects on δβγ-ENaC function. Molecular docking identified two putative binding sites in the extracellular domain of ENaC for both CFTR blockers. Together, our results indicate that caution is needed when using these two CFTR inhibitors to dissect the role of CFTR, and potentially ENaC, in physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- JinHeng Lin
- grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH UK ,grid.4991.50000 0004 1936 8948Present Address: Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3QT UK
| | - Sean M. Gettings
- grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - Khaoula Talbi
- grid.7727.50000 0001 2190 5763Physiological Institute, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Rainer Schreiber
- grid.7727.50000 0001 2190 5763Physiological Institute, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Michael J. Taggart
- grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH UK
| | - Matthias Preller
- grid.425058.e0000 0004 0473 3519Department of Natural Sciences/Institute for Functional Gene Analytics, Structural Biology Group, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany
| | - Karl Kunzelmann
- grid.7727.50000 0001 2190 5763Physiological Institute, University of Regensburg, 93053 Regensburg, Germany
| | - Mike Althaus
- grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK ,grid.425058.e0000 0004 0473 3519Present Address: Department of Natural Sciences /Institute for Functional Gene Analytics, Ion Transport Physiology Group, Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany
| | - Michael A. Gray
- grid.1006.70000 0001 0462 7212Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH UK
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Xu CL, Ruan MZ, Ragi SD, Tsang SH. CRISPR Off-Target Analysis Platforms. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2560:279-285. [PMID: 36481904 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2651-1_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Caspase9 (Cas9) system provides a programmable technology that may be used to edit the eukaryotic genome and epigenome. CRISPR/Cas9 includes a guide RNA targeted to a gene of interest which hybridizes to a nucleotide sequence next to a protospacer-adjacent motif (PAM) which guides the Cas9 endonucleases to the target site for cleavage via double-strand breaks. A caveat of the CRISPR/Cas9 system is the creation of off-target double-strand breaks (DSBs) which may result in anomalous insertions, deletions, and translocations. Thus, assays for the sensitive detection and analysis of off-target editing are critical. Here, we describe currently available CRISPR technologies, CRISPR applications, and current analysis platforms to detect off-target effects including genome-wide, unbiased identification of DSBs enabled by sequencing (GUIDE-Seq), high-throughput genomic translocation sequencing (HTGTS), breaks labeling, enrichments on streptavidin and next-generation sequencing (BLESS), and in vitro nuclease-digested genome sequencing (Digenome-seq).
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Xu
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Merry Zhechao Ruan
- Department of Ophthalmology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sara D Ragi
- Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stephen H Tsang
- Departments of Ophthalmology, Pathology & Cell Biology, Graduate Programs in Nutritional & Metabolic Biology and Neurobiology & Behavior, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, New York, NY, USA.
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Lingli X, Wenfang X. Characteristics and molecular mechanisms through which SGLT2 inhibitors improve metabolic diseases: A mechanism review. Life Sci 2022; 300:120543. [PMID: 35421452 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, gout and hyperlipidemia are global health challenges. Among them, diabetes has been extensively investigated. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), which is characterized by hyperglycemia, is a complex metabolic disease that is associated with various metabolic disorders. The newly developed oral hypoglycemic agent, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, has been associated with glucose-lowering effects and it affects metabolism in various ways. However, the potential mechanisms of SGLT2 inhibitors in metabolic diseases have not fully reviewed. Many of the effects beyond glycemic control must be considered off-target effects. Therefore, we reviewed the effects of SGLT2 inhibition on metabolic diseases such as obesity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, osteoporosis and fractures. Moreover, we elucidated their molecular mechanisms to provide a theoretical basis for metabolic disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xie Lingli
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Wuhan, China
| | - Xia Wenfang
- Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China; Hubei Provincial Clinical Research Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders, Wuhan, China.
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9
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Coors A, Falkenhain AM, Scheurer M, Länge R. Evidence for Specific Receptor-Mediated Toxicity of Pharmaceuticals in Aquatic Organisms Derived from Acute and Chronic Standard Endpoints. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022; 41:601-613. [PMID: 33595135 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The toxicity of 17 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) was investigated using standardized acute and chronic tests with Daphnia magna and 2 algae species. Chronic toxicity was generally greater for Daphnia than for algae. Compilation of additional data resulted in 100 APIs for which the acute-to-chronic ratio (ACR) was determined for Daphnia. The frequency of high ACRs (~20% with ACRs > 100) indicates that specific receptor-mediated toxicity toward D. magna is rather common among APIs. The 11 APIs with ACRs > 1000 included lipid-modifying agents, immunosuppressants, antibiotics, antineoplastics, antiobesics, antivirals, and antihistamines. There was no consistent association between ACR and chronic toxicity, ionization status, or lipophilicity. High ACRs were not exclusively associated with the presence of orthologs of the pharmacological target in Daphnia. Statins, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, and antihistamines are discussed in more detail regarding the link between targets and toxic mode of action. For acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, receptor-mediated toxicity was already apparent after acute exposure, whereas the high ACR and chronic toxicity of some antihistamines probably related to interaction with a secondary rather than the primary pharmacological target. Acute or modeled chronic toxicity estimates have often been used for prioritizing pharmaceuticals. This may be seriously misleading because chronic effects are currently not predictable for APIs with specific receptor-mediated toxicity. However, it is exactly these APIs that are the most relevant in terms of environmental risks. Environ Toxicol Chem 2022;41:601-613. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Coors
- ECT Oekotoxikologie, Flörsheim/Main, Germany
- Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, York, UK
| | | | - Marco Scheurer
- Deutscher Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches-Technologiezentrum Wasser, Karlsruhe, Germany
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10
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Czarnek M, Stalińska K, Sarad K, Bereta J. shRNAs targeting mouse Adam10 diminish cell response to proinflammatory stimuli independently of Adam10 silencing. Biol Open 2022; 11:274200. [PMID: 35107128 PMCID: PMC8905717 DOI: 10.1242/bio.059092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA interference is one of the common methods of studying protein functions. In recent years critical reports have emerged indicating that off-target effects may have a much greater impact on RNAi-based analysis than previously assumed. We studied the influence of Adam10 and Adam17 silencing on MC38CEA cell response to proinflammatory stimuli. Eight lentiviral vector-encoded shRNAs that reduced ADAM10 expression, including two that are specific towards ADAM17, caused inhibition of cytokine-induced Nos2 expression presumably via off-target effects. ADAM10 silencing was not responsible for this effect because: (i) CRISPR/Cas9 knockdown of ADAM10 did not affect Nos2 levels; (ii) ADAM10 inhibitor increased rather than decreased Nos2 expression; (iii) overexpression of ADAM10 in the cells with shRNA-silenced Adam10 did not reverse the effect induced by shRNA; (iv) shRNA targeting ADAM10 resulted in decrease of Nos2 expression even in ADAM10-deficient cells. The studied shRNAs influenced transcription of Nos2 rather than stability of Nos2 mRNA. They also affected stimulation of Ccl2 and Ccl7 expression. Additionally, we used vectors with doxycycline-inducible expression of chosen shRNAs and observed reduced activation of NF-κB and, to a lesser extent, AP-1 transcription factors. We discuss the requirements of strict controls and verification of results with complementary methods for reliable conclusions of shRNA-based experiments. Summary: Use of several specific shRNAs is not enough to escape a pitfall of their off-target activity: the case of Adam10 and Adam17 silencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Czarnek
- Department of Cell Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Krystyna Stalińska
- Department of Cell Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Sarad
- Department of Cell Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Joanna Bereta
- Department of Cell Biochemistry, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
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11
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Abstract
CRISPR/Cas9-based technology has revolutionized biomedical research by providing a high-fidelity gene-editing method, foreshadowing a significant impact on the therapeutics of many human genetic disorders previously considered untreatable. However, off-target events represent a critical hurdle before genome editing can be fully established in clinical practice. This mini-review recapitulates some recent advances for detecting and overcoming off-target effects mediated by the CRISPR/Cas9 system that could increase the likelihood of clinical success of the CRISPR-based approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Aquino-Jarquin
- Laboratorio de Investigación en Genómica, Genética y Bioinformática, Hospital Infantil de México, Federico Gómez, Ciudad de México, Mexico; Departamento de Ciencias Naturales, Unidad Cuajimalpa, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Ciudad de México, Mexico.
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12
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Hueso M, Mallén A, Ripoll E, de Ramón L, Bolaños N, Varela C, Guiteras J, Checa J, Navarro E, Grinyo JM, Cruzado JM, Aran JM, Torras J. In vivo CD40 Silencing by siRNA Infusion in Rodents and Evaluation by Kidney Immunostaining. Bio Protoc 2021; 11:e4032. [PMID: 34150939 DOI: 10.21769/bioprotoc.4032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The co-stimulatory molecule CD40 and its ligand CD40L play a key role in the regulation of immunological processes and are involved in the pathophysiology of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Inhibition of the CD40-CD40L axis is a promising therapy, and a number of strategies and techniques have been designed to hinder its functionality. Our group has broad experience in silencing CD40 using RNAi technology, and here we summarize protocols for the systemic administration of a specific anti-CD40 siRNA in different rodents models, in addition to the subsequent quantification of CD40 expression in murine kidneys by immunostaining. The use of RNAi technology with specific siRNAs to silence genes is becoming an essential method to investigate gene functions and is rapidly emerging as a therapeutic tool. Graphic abstract: CD40 siRNA mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Hueso
- Department of Nephrology, Hospital Universitari Bellvitge, and Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adrián Mallén
- Experimental Nephrology Laboratory, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdicas de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elia Ripoll
- Experimental Nephrology Laboratory, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdicas de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Laura de Ramón
- Experimental Nephrology Laboratory, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdicas de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Bolaños
- Experimental Nephrology Laboratory, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdicas de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristian Varela
- Experimental Nephrology Laboratory, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdicas de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Guiteras
- Experimental Nephrology Laboratory, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdicas de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Checa
- Immunoinflammatory Processes and Gene Therapeutics Lab, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Josep Maria Grinyo
- University of Barcelona, Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Maria Cruzado
- Department of Nephrology, Hospital Universitari Bellvitge, and Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,University of Barcelona, Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Maria Aran
- Immunoinflammatory Processes and Gene Therapeutics Lab, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Torras
- Department of Nephrology, Hospital Universitari Bellvitge, and Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge-IDIBELL, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.,University of Barcelona, Department of Clinical Sciences, Bellvitge Campus, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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13
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Bannister S, Sudbury E, Villanueva P, Perrett K, Curtis N. The safety of BCG revaccination: A systematic review. Vaccine 2021; 39:2736-45. [PMID: 33810902 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Revaccination with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine is not generally recommended due to a lack of proven efficacy of repeat doses for protection against tuberculosis. However, there is a growing interest in the use of BCG vaccine for its 'off-target' effects which might involve revaccination. We did a systematic review of the safety of BCG revaccination. METHODS MEDLINE (1946 to March 2020) and the BCG World Atlas (updated 2017) were searched, limiting to studies of BCG administration by the intradermal or percutaneous route. Adverse events as well as patient and vaccine characteristics were reviewed. RESULTS The search identified 388 articles, of which 24 met the inclusion criteria. These reported 22 studies comprising eight randomised trials, four case-control studies, four observational studies and six case series or reports. Overall, there was evidence for a small increase in the rate of mild local and systemic reactions. No serious adverse events were reported in immunocompetent individuals. CONCLUSIONS Evidence to date suggests that revaccination with BCG vaccine carries minimal risk. Future studies of BCG vaccine for novel applications should report adverse event data stratified by prior BCG vaccination status.
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14
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Dehbashi M, Hojati Z, Motovali-Bashi M, Ganjalikhani-Hakemi M, Shimosaka A, Cho WC. Computational study for suppression of CD25/IL-2 interaction. Biol Chem 2021; 402:167-178. [PMID: 33544473 DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2020-0326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Cancer recurrence presents a huge challenge in cancer patient management. Immune escape is a key mechanism of cancer progression and metastatic dissemination. CD25 is expressed in regulatory T (Treg) cells including tumor-infiltrating Treg cells (TI-Tregs). These cells specially activate and reinforce immune escape mechanism of cancers. The suppression of CD25/IL-2 interaction would be useful against Treg cells activation and ultimately immune escape of cancer. Here, software, web servers and databases were used, at which in silico designed small interfering RNAs (siRNAs), de novo designed peptides and virtual screened small molecules against CD25 were introduced for the prospect of eliminating cancer immune escape and obtaining successful treatment. We obtained siRNAs with low off-target effects. Further, small molecules based on the binding homology search in ligand and receptor similarity were introduced. Finally, the critical amino acids on CD25 were targeted by a de novo designed peptide with disulfide bond. Hence we introduced computational-based antagonists to lay a foundation for further in vitro and in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moein Dehbashi
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Zohreh Hojati
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Majid Motovali-Bashi
- Division of Genetics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology and Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, 81746-73441, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | - Mazdak Ganjalikhani-Hakemi
- Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 81746-73461, Isfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran.,Acquired Immunodeficiency Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Islamic Republic of Iran
| | | | - William C Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, HKSAR, China
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15
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Chen X, Wicaksono WA, Berg G, Cernava T. Bacterial communities in the plant phyllosphere harbour distinct responders to a broad-spectrum pesticide. Sci Total Environ 2021; 751:141799. [PMID: 32889475 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Pesticide application can be accompanied by harmful non-target effects that affect humans, animals, as well as whole ecosystems. However, such effects remain mainly unaddressed in connection with microorganisms, and especially bacteria therein, which are essential for ecosystem functioning and host health. We analysed bacterial communities by sequencing 16S rRNA gene fragment amplicons following spray application of a broad-spectrum fungicide based on the active ingredient N-(3,5-dichlorophenyl) succinimide on Nicotiana tabacum L. leaves. The plant's phyllosphere was predominantly colonized by Proteobacteria, with Alphaproteobacteria accounting for up to 33.8% of the indigenous bacterial community. Bioinformatic analyses indicated that pesticide applications had an effect on the core microbiome as well as the rare microbiome. Moreover, the interference of the pesticide with phyllosphere bacteria was found to be selective. We have identified four positive responders including an ASV assigned to the genus Acinetobacter and 12 negative responders mainly assigned to bacterial genera known for beneficial plant-microbe interactions, including Stenotrophomonas, Sphingomonas, Flavobacterium and Serratia. Complementary inference of bacterial functioning on community level indicated that microbes with distinct stress response systems were likely enriched in the conducted treatments. The overall findings confirmed that pesticide treatments can induce measureable shifts in non-target bacterial communities colonizing the plant phyllosphere. They also indicate that potentially beneficial bacteria, which are known for their intrinsic association with plants, are among the most sensitive responders to the employed fungicide and thus highlight the importance of off-target studies in the context of the plant microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyulong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, 550025 Guiyang, China; College of Tobacco Science, Guizhou University, 550025 Guiyang, China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, 550025 Guiyang, China
| | - Wisnu Adi Wicaksono
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Gabriele Berg
- Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria.
| | - Tomislav Cernava
- College of Tobacco Science, Guizhou University, 550025 Guiyang, China; Guizhou Provincial Key Laboratory for Agricultural Pest Management of the Mountainous Region, 550025 Guiyang, China; Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria.
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16
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Abstract
The CRISPR/Cas9 system has transformed how gene knockout and knock-in studies are performed in the lab, and it is poised to revolutionize medicine. However, one of the present limitations of this technology is its imperfect specificity. While CRISPR/Cas9 can be programmed to cut a specific DNA target sequence with relative precision, off-target sequence cleavage can occur in large genomes. Importantly, several techniques have recently been developed to measure CRISPR/Cas9 on- and off-target DNA cleavage in cells. Here, we present detailed protocols for evaluating the specificity of CRISPR/Cas9 and related systems in cells using both targeted-approaches, in which off-target sites are known a priori, and unbiased approaches which are able to identify off-target cleavage events throughout an entire genome. Together, these techniques can be used to assess the reliability of experimental models generated using CRISPR/Cas9 as well as the safety of therapeutics employing this technology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan Jovel
- The Applied Genomics Core, Office of Research, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Basil P Hubbard
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
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17
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Zhang M, Eshraghian EA, Jammal OA, Zhang Z, Zhu X. CRISPR technology: The engine that drives cancer therapy. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 133:111007. [PMID: 33227699 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.111007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR gene editing technology belongs to the third generation of gene editing technology. Since its discovery, it has attracted the attention of a large number of researchers. Investigators have published a series of academic articles and obtained breakthrough research results through in-depth research. In recent years, this technology has developed rapidly and been widely applied in many fields, especially in medicine. This review focuses on concepts of CRISPR gene editing technology, its application in cancer treatments, its existing limitations, and the new progress in recent years for detailed analysis and sharing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingtao Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Natural Drugs, The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang, China
| | - Emily A Eshraghian
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Omar Al Jammal
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Zhibi Zhang
- Biomedical Engineering Research Center, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
| | - Xiao Zhu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Research and Development of Natural Drugs, The Marine Biomedical Research Institute, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhanjiang), Zhanjiang, China; The Marine Biomedical Research Institute of Guangdong Zhanjiang, Zhanjiang, China; The Key Lab of Zhanjiang for R&D Marine Microbial Resources in the Beibu Gulf Rim, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.
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18
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Abstract
As genome editors move into clinical trials, there is a need to establish ex vivo multicellular systems to rapidly assess and predict toxic effects of genome editors in physiologically relevant human models. Advancements in organoid and organs-on-chip technologies offer the possibility to create multicellular systems that replicate the cellular composition and metabolic function of native tissues. Some multicellular systems have been validated in multiple applications for drug discovery and could be easily adapted to test genome editors; other models, especially those of the adaptive immune system, will require validation before being used as benchmarks for testing genome editors. Likewise, protocols to assess immunogenicity, to detect off-target effects, and to predict ex vivo to in vivo translation will need to be established and validated. This review will discuss key aspects to consider when designing, building, and/or adopting in vitro human multicellular systems for testing genome editors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Hernandez-Gordillo
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Thomas Caleb Casolaro
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mo R Ebrahimkhani
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- The McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Swanson School of Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Samira Kiani
- Department of Pathology, Division of Experimental Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Pittsburgh Liver Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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19
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Pan H, Li W, Chen Z, Luo Y, He W, Wang M, Tang X, He H, Liu L, Zheng M, Jiang X, Yin T, Liang R, Ma Y, Cai L. Click CAR-T cell engineering for robustly boosting cell immunotherapy in blood and subcutaneous xenograft tumor. Bioact Mater 2020; 6:951-962. [PMID: 33102938 PMCID: PMC7560591 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2020.09.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The adoptive transfer of chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cells has shown remarkable clinical responses in hematologic malignancies. However, unsatisfactory curative results and side effects for tumor treatment are still unsolved problems. Herein we develop a click CAR-T cell engineering strategy via cell glycometabolic labeling for robustly boosting their antitumor effects and safety in vivo. Briefly, paired chemical groups (N3/BCN) are separately incorporated into CAR-T cell and tumor via nondestructive intrinsic glycometabolism of exogenous Ac4GalNAz and Ac4ManNBCN, serving as an artificial ligand-receptor. Functional groups anchored on cell surface strengthen the interaction of CAR-T cell and tumor via bioorthogonal click chemistry, further enhancing specific recognition, migration and selective antitumor effects of CAR-T cells. In vivo, click CAR-T cell completely removes lymphoma cells and minimizes off-target toxicity via selective and efficient bioorthogonal targeting in blood cancer. Surprisingly, compared to unlabeled cells, artificial bioorthogonal targeting significantly promotes the accumulation, deep penetration and homing of CAR-T cells into tumor tissues, ultimately improving its curative effect for solid tumor. Click CAR-T cell engineering robustly boosts selective recognition and antitumor capabilities of CAR T cells in vitro and in vivo, thereby holding a great potential for effective clinical cell immunotherapy with avoiding adverse events in patients. Click CAR-T cell engineering strategy is developed Via glycometabolic labeling, serving as artificial ‘ligand-receptor’. CAR-T cells completely clean lymphoma cells, and minimize off-target toxicity via specific and efficient bioorthogonal targeting. This strategy promoted CAR-T cell selectivity, infiltration and homing, dramatically boosting antitumor capability and safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Pan
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China.,HRYZ Biotech Co., Shenzhen, 518057, PR China
| | - Wenjun Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Ze Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Yingmei Luo
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Wei He
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Mengmeng Wang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Xiaofan Tang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Huamei He
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Lanlan Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China.,HRYZ Biotech Co., Shenzhen, 518057, PR China
| | - Mingbin Zheng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Xin Jiang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Ting Yin
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Ruijing Liang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
| | - Yifan Ma
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China.,HRYZ Biotech Co., Shenzhen, 518057, PR China
| | - Lintao Cai
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, CAS Key Lab for Health Informatics, Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory of Nanomedicine and Nanoformulations, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, PR China
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20
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Abstract
The rapid advancement of genome editing technologies has opened up new possibilities in the field of medicine. Nuclease-based techniques such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system are now used to target genetically linked disorders that were previously hard-to-treat. The CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing approach wields several advantages over its contemporary editing systems, notably in the ease of component design, implementation and the option of multiplex genome editing. While results from the early phase clinical trials have been encouraging, the small patient population recruited into these trials hinders a conclusive assessment on the safety aspects of the CRISPR/Cas9 therapy. Potential safety concerns include the lack of fidelity in the CRISPR/Cas9 system which may lead to unintended DNA modifications at non-targeted gene loci. This review focuses modifications to the CRISPR/Cas9 components that can mitigate off-target effects in in vitro and preclinical models and its translatability to gene therapy in patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Alexander Han
- Disease Modeling and Therapeutics Laboratory, A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Jeremy Kah Sheng Pang
- Disease Modeling and Therapeutics Laboratory, A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Boon-Seng Soh
- Disease Modeling and Therapeutics Laboratory, A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore.
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Disease of Guangdong Province, The Third Affliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, China.
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21
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Abstract
The rapid advancement of genome editing technologies has opened up new possibilities in the field of medicine. Nuclease-based techniques such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system are now used to target genetically linked disorders that were previously hard-to-treat. The CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing approach wields several advantages over its contemporary editing systems, notably in the ease of component design, implementation and the option of multiplex genome editing. While results from the early phase clinical trials have been encouraging, the small patient population recruited into these trials hinders a conclusive assessment on the safety aspects of the CRISPR/Cas9 therapy. Potential safety concerns include the lack of fidelity in the CRISPR/Cas9 system which may lead to unintended DNA modifications at non-targeted gene loci. This review focuses modifications to the CRISPR/Cas9 components that can mitigate off-target effects in in vitro and preclinical models and its translatability to gene therapy in patient populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Alexander Han
- Disease Modeling and Therapeutics Laboratory, A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
| | - Jeremy Kah Sheng Pang
- Disease Modeling and Therapeutics Laboratory, A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Boon-Seng Soh
- Disease Modeling and Therapeutics Laboratory, A*STAR Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, 61 Biopolis Drive Proteos, Singapore, 138673, Singapore.
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
- Key Laboratory for Major Obstetric Disease of Guangdong Province, The Third Affliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510150, China.
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22
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Pedersen L, Hagedorn PH, Koch T. Identifying Suitable Target Regions and Analyzing Off-Target Effects of Therapeutic Oligonucleotides. Methods Mol Biol 2020; 2036:261-282. [PMID: 31410803 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9670-4_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Antisense oligonucleotides (AONs) that promote degradation of complementary RNA are being developed as therapeutics. Here, we describe a simple computational workflow for identification of the regions on an RNA that are suitable for targeting with such AONs. The workflow is based on the statistical programming language R, and the calculations and data processing can be carried out on a desktop computer. Our workflow integrates well-established data resources and RNA structure-prediction tools and can be modified easily and expanded as new resources become available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lykke Pedersen
- Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, Hørsholm, Denmark.
| | - Peter H Hagedorn
- Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, Hørsholm, Denmark
| | - Troels Koch
- Therapeutic Modalities, Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Roche Innovation Center Copenhagen, Hørsholm, Denmark
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23
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Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi), a natural gene silencing process, is a widely used technique in basic research, preclinical studies, and drug development strategies. Although the technique has great potential to generate new human therapies and treat undruggable diseases, the clinical application of RNAi is still challenging primarily because of the delivery problem and potential off-target effects. Over the past two decades, great efforts have been undertaken to develop delivery agents and chemical modifications to overcome these challenges. Such advances in RNA delivery and chemical modifications have benefited researchers who are developing gene-editing therapies based on CRISPR-Cas9, an RNA-guided endonuclease, which is already having a major impact on biology and medicine. Here, I review the discovery of these two interference tools, identify the technical challenges yet to be overcome and provide some perspectives on how these two RNA-based technologies can be harnessed to treat human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouldy Sioud
- Department of Cancer Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital-Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
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24
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Abstract
The drug development pipeline has stalled because of the difficulty in identifying new drug targets while minimizing off-target effects. Computational methods, such as the use of metabolic network reconstructions, may provide a cost-effective platform to test new hypotheses for drug targets and prevent off-target effects. Here, we summarize available methods to identify drug targets and off-target effects using either reaction-centric, gene-centric, or metabolite-centric approaches with genome-scale metabolic network reconstructions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristopher Rawls
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Bonnie V Dougherty
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Jason Papin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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25
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Abstract
Although RNA interference is widely used for gene silencing, unintended gene modulation generated by off-target effects represents a major barrier to its applications in biology and medicine. Off-targeting can be induced by both the sense and antisense siRNA strands. An approach to minimizing off-target gene silencing by the sense strand would be the blockade of the 5'-end phosphorylation, thereby impeding its entry into the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC). In this chapter, a biotin group at the 5'-end of the sense strand was used to inhibit its incorporation into RISC, thereby facilitating the antisense strand selection and enhancing siRNA cleavage potency. Biotin is a naturally occurring compound, and its presence in siRNA sequences will not induce additional side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Mobergslien
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital-Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway
| | - Mouldy Sioud
- Department of Immunology, Institute for Cancer Research, Oslo University Hospital-Radiumhospitalet, Oslo, Norway.
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26
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Abstract
With the first RNA interference (RNAi) drug (ONPATTRO (patisiran)) on the market, we witness the RNAi therapy field reaching a critical turning point, when further improvements in drug candidate design and delivery pipelines should enable fast delivery of novel life changing treatments to patients. Nevertheless, ignoring parallel development of RNAi dedicated in vitro pharmacological profiling aiming to identify undesirable off-target activity may slow down or halt progress in the RNAi field. Since academic research is currently fueling the RNAi development pipeline with new therapeutic options, the objective of this article is to briefly summarize the basics of RNAi therapy, as well as to discuss how to translate basic research into better understanding of related drug candidate safety profiles early in the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafal Bartoszewski
- Department of Biology and Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Aleksander F. Sikorski
- Department of Cytobiochemistry, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
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27
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Abstract
As versatile and robust genome editing tools, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) technologies have been broadly used in basic research, biotechnology, and therapeutic development. Off-target mutagenesis by CRISPR systems has been demonstrated, and various methods have been developed to markedly increase their specificity. In this review, we highlight the efforts of producing and modifying guide RNA (gRNA) to minimize off-target activities, including sequence and structure design, tuning expression and chemical modification. The modalities of gRNA engineering can be applied across CRISPR systems. In conjunction with CRISPR protein effectors, the engineered gRNA enables efficient and precise genome editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wu
- Department of Pathology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China; Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, 430071, China
| | - Hao Yin
- Department of Pathology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China; Frontier Science Center for Immunology and Metabolism, Wuhan University, 430071, China; Department of Urology, Medical Research Institute, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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28
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Zheng G, Zhu Q, Dong J, Lin X, Zhu C. Rapid generation and selection of Cas9-engineering TRP53 R172P mice that do not have off-target effects. BMC Biotechnol 2019; 19:74. [PMID: 31703569 PMCID: PMC6839086 DOI: 10.1186/s12896-019-0573-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic mutations cause severe human diseases, and suitable animal models to study the regulatory mechanisms involved are required. The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful, highly efficient and easily manipulated tool for genetic modifications. However, utilization of CRISPR/Cas9 to introduce point mutations and the exclusion of off-target effects in mice remain challenging. TP53-R175 is one of the most frequently mutated sites in human cancers, and it plays crucial roles in human diseases, including cancers and diabetes. RESULTS Here, we generated TRP53-R172P mutant mice (C57BL/6 J, corresponding to TP53-R175P in humans) using a single microinjection of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The optimal parameters comprised gRNA selection, donor designation (silent mutations within gRNA region), the concentration of CRISPR components and the cellular sites of injection. TRP53-R172P conversion was genetically and functionally confirmed. Combination of TA cloning and Sanger sequencing helped identify the correctly targeted mice as well as the off-target effects in the engineered mice, which provide us a strategy to select the on-target mice without off-target effects quickly and efficiently. CONCLUSIONS A single injection of the this optimized CRISPR/Cas9 system can be applied to introduce particular mutations in the genome of mice without off-target effects to model various human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoxing Zheng
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 510275, Guangdong, China. .,Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China. .,Institute for Immunology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Qingqing Zhu
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 510275, Guangdong, China
| | - Junchao Dong
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 510275, Guangdong, China
| | - Xin Lin
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Beijing, 100084, China.,Institute for Immunology, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Chengming Zhu
- The Seventh Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, 510275, Guangdong, China.
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29
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Thompson N, Mastitskaya S, Holder D. Avoiding off-target effects in electrical stimulation of the cervical vagus nerve: Neuroanatomical tracing techniques to study fascicular anatomy of the vagus nerve. J Neurosci Methods 2019; 325:108325. [PMID: 31260728 PMCID: PMC6698726 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is a promising therapy for treatment of various conditions that are resistant to standard medication, such as heart failure, epilepsy, and depression. The vagus nerve is a complex nerve providing afferent and efferent innervation of the pharynx, larynx, heart, tracheobronchial tree and lungs, oesophagus, stomach, liver, pancreas, small intestine and proximal colon. It is therefore a prime target for intervention for VNS. Surprisingly, the fascicular organisation of the vagus nerve at the cervical level is still not well understood. This, along with the current stimulation techniques, results in the entire nerve being stimulated, which leads to unwanted off-target effects. Neuronal tracing is a promising method to delineate the organ-specific innervation by the vagus nerve, thereby providing valuable insight into the fascicular anatomy. In this review we discuss the current knowledge of vagus nerve anatomy and neuronal tracers used for mapping of its organ-specific projections in various species. Efferent vagal projections are a chain of two neurones (pre- and postganglionic), while afferent projections consist of only one pseudounipolar neurone with one branch terminating in the target organ/tissue directly and another in the brainstem. It would be feasible to retrogradely trace the afferent fibres from their respective visceral targets and identify them at the cervical level using non-transsynaptic neuronal tracers. Using this to create a map of the functional anatomical organisation of the vagus nerve will enable selective VNS ultimately allowing for the avoidance of the off-target effects and improving overall efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Thompson
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Svetlana Mastitskaya
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - David Holder
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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30
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Li S, Hussain F, Unnithan GC, Dong S, UlAbdin Z, Gu S, Mathew LG, Fabrick JA, Ni X, Carrière Y, Tabashnik BE, Li X. A long non-coding RNA regulates cadherin transcription and susceptibility to Bt toxin Cry1Ac in pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella. Pestic Biochem Physiol 2019; 158:54-60. [PMID: 31378361 DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2019] [Revised: 04/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Extensive planting of transgenic crops producing insecticidal proteins from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) has spurred increasingly rapid evolution of resistance in pests. In the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella, a devastating global pest, resistance to Bt toxin Cry1Ac produced by transgenic cotton is linked with mutations in a gene (PgCad1) encoding a cadherin protein that binds Cry1Ac in the larval midgut. We previously reported a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) in intron 20 of cadherin alleles associated with both resistance and susceptibility to Cry1Ac. Here we tested the hypothesis that reducing expression of this lncRNA decreases transcription of PgCad1 and susceptibility to Cry1Ac. Quantitative RT-PCR showed that feeding susceptible neonates small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) targeting this lncRNA but not PgCad1 decreased the abundance of transcripts of both the lncRNA and PgCad1. Moreover, neonates fed the siRNAs had lower susceptibility to Cry1Ac. The results imply that the lncRNA increases transcription of PgCad1 and susceptibility of pink bollworm to Cry1Ac. The results suggest that disruption of lncRNA expression could be a novel mechanism of pest resistance to Bt toxins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengyun Li
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan, China; Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Fiaz Hussain
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Insect Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | | | - Shuanglin Dong
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Crop Diseases and Pests (Ministry of Education), College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Zain UlAbdin
- Insect Molecular Biology Lab, Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad 38040, Pakistan
| | - Shaohua Gu
- State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Lolita G Mathew
- USDA, ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Fabrick
- USDA, ARS, U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center, Maricopa, AZ 85138, USA
| | - Xinzhi Ni
- USDA, ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit, Tifton, GA 31793, USA
| | - Yves Carrière
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Bruce E Tabashnik
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - Xianchun Li
- Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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31
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Herai RH. Avoiding the off-target effects of CRISPR/cas9 system is still a challenging accomplishment for genetic transformation. Gene 2019; 700:176-178. [PMID: 30898720 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2019.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The recent disclosure of a human embryo subjected to a genetic transformation using the CRISPR/cas9 system give rise to several concerns on ethical questions about its uncontrolled use in humans. Although CRISPR/cas9 has demonstrated its efficiency, this system still lacks the capability to avoid the introduction of undesirable mutations through the target genome. In this Letter, we present several undesirable impacts that CRISPR/cas9 system have in the genetic transformation of the human genome. We briefly discuss, using the very recent literature from distinct high impact journals, the main concerns related to CRISPR/cas9 to deal with off-target effects and how the research community has treated it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto H Herai
- Graduate Program in Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (PUCPR), 80215-901 Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil; Research Division, Instituto Lico Kaesemodel, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
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32
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O’Geen H, Bates SL, Carter SS, Nisson KA, Halmai J, Fink KD, Rhie SK, Farnham PJ, Segal DJ. Ezh2-dCas9 and KRAB-dCas9 enable engineering of epigenetic memory in a context-dependent manner. Epigenetics Chromatin 2019; 12:26. [PMID: 31053162 PMCID: PMC6498470 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-019-0275-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rewriting of the epigenome has risen as a promising alternative to gene editing for precision medicine. In nature, epigenetic silencing can result in complete attenuation of target gene expression over multiple mitotic divisions. However, persistent repression has been difficult to achieve in a predictable manner using targeted systems. RESULTS Here, we report that persistent epigenetic memory required both a DNA methyltransferase (DNMT3A-dCas9) and a histone methyltransferase (Ezh2-dCas9 or KRAB-dCas9). We demonstrate that the histone methyltransferase requirement can be locus specific. Co-targeting Ezh2-dCas9, but not KRAB-dCas9, with DNMT3A-dCas9 and DNMT3L induced long-term HER2 repression over at least 50 days (approximately 57 cell divisions) and triggered an epigenetic switch to a heterochromatic environment. An increase in H3K27 trimethylation and DNA methylation was stably maintained and accompanied by a sustained loss of H3K27 acetylation. Interestingly, substitution of Ezh2-dCas9 with KRAB-dCas9 enabled long-term repression at some target genes (e.g., SNURF) but not at HER2, at which H3K9me3 and DNA methylation were transiently acquired and subsequently lost. Off-target DNA hypermethylation occurred at many individual CpG sites but rarely at multiple CpGs in a single promoter, consistent with no detectable effect on transcription at the off-target loci tested. Conversely, robust hypermethylation was observed at HER2. We further demonstrated that Ezh2-dCas9 required full-length DNMT3L for maximal activity and that co-targeting DNMT3L was sufficient for persistent repression by Ezh2-dCas9 or KRAB-dCas9. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that targeting different combinations of histone and DNA methyltransferases is required to achieve maximal repression at different loci. Fine-tuning of targeting tools is a necessity to engineer epigenetic memory at any given locus in any given cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henriette O’Geen
- Genome Center and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Sofie L. Bates
- Genome Center and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Sakereh S. Carter
- Genome Center and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Karly A. Nisson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Julian Halmai
- Department of Neurology and Stem Cell Program, University of California, Sacramento, CA 95817 USA
| | - Kyle D. Fink
- Department of Neurology and Stem Cell Program, University of California, Sacramento, CA 95817 USA
| | - Suhn K. Rhie
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Peggy J. Farnham
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - David J. Segal
- Genome Center and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA
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33
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Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) is the method of choice to systematically test for gene function in an intact organism. The model organism Drosophila has the advantage that RNAi is cell autonomous, meaning it does not spread from one cell to the next. Hence, RNAi can be performed in a tissue-specific manner by expressing short or long inverted repeat constructs (hairpins) designed to target mRNAs from one specific target gene. This achieves tissue-specific knock-down of a target gene of choice. Here, we detail the methodology to test gene function in Drosophila muscle tissue by expressing hairpins in a muscle-specific manner using the GAL4-UAS system. We further discuss the systematic RNAi resource collections available which also permit large scale screens in a muscle-specific manner. The full power of such screens is revealed by combination of high-throughput assays followed by detailed morphological assays. Together, this chapter should be a practical guide to enable the reader to either test a few candidate genes, or large gene sets for particular functions in Drosophila muscle tissue and provide first insights into the biological process the gene might be important for in muscle.
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Neckers L, Blagg B, Haystead T, Trepel JB, Whitesell L, Picard D. Methods to validate Hsp90 inhibitor specificity, to identify off-target effects, and to rethink approaches for further clinical development. Cell Stress Chaperones 2018; 23:467-482. [PMID: 29392504 PMCID: PMC6045531 DOI: 10.1007/s12192-018-0877-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Revised: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular chaperone Hsp90 is one component of a highly complex and interactive cellular proteostasis network (PN) that participates in protein folding, directs misfolded and damaged proteins for destruction, and participates in regulating cellular transcriptional responses to environmental stress, thus promoting cell and organismal survival. Over the last 20 years, it has become clear that various disease states, including cancer, neurodegeneration, metabolic disorders, and infection by diverse microbes, impact the PN. Among PN components, Hsp90 was among the first to be pharmacologically targeted with small molecules. While the number of Hsp90 inhibitors described in the literature has dramatically increased since the first such small molecule was described in 1994, it has become increasingly apparent that not all of these agents have been sufficiently validated for specificity, mechanism of action, and lack of off-target effects. Given the less than expected activity of Hsp90 inhibitors in cancer-related human clinical trials, a re-evaluation of potentially confounding off-target effects, as well as confidence in target specificity and mechanism of action, is warranted. In this commentary, we provide feasible approaches to achieve these goals and we discuss additional considerations to improve the clinical efficacy of Hsp90 inhibitors in treating cancer and other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Len Neckers
- Urologic Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Brian Blagg
- Warren Family Research Center for Drug Discovery and Development, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Timothy Haystead
- Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Jane B Trepel
- Developmental Therapeutics Branch, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Luke Whitesell
- Whitehead Institute, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Didier Picard
- Département de Biologie Cellulaire, Université de Genève, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.
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35
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Zhang Q, Xing HL, Wang ZP, Zhang HY, Yang F, Wang XC, Chen QJ. Potential high-frequency off-target mutagenesis induced by CRISPR/Cas9 in Arabidopsis and its prevention. Plant Mol Biol 2018; 96:445-456. [PMID: 29476306 PMCID: PMC5978904 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-018-0709-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE We present novel observations of high-specificity SpCas9 variants, sgRNA expression strategies based on mutant sgRNA scaffold and tRNA processing system, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated T-DNA integrations. Specificity of CRISPR/Cas9 tools has been a major concern along with the reports of their successful applications. We report unexpected observations of high frequency off-target mutagenesis induced by CRISPR/Cas9 in T1 Arabidopsis mutants although the sgRNA was predicted to have a high specificity score. We also present evidence that the off-target effects were further exacerbated in the T2 progeny. To prevent the off-target effects, we tested and optimized two strategies in Arabidopsis, including introduction of a mCherry cassette for a simple and reliable isolation of Cas9-free mutants and the use of highly specific mutant SpCas9 variants. Optimization of the mCherry vectors and subsequent validation found that fusion of tRNA with the mutant rather than the original sgRNA scaffold significantly improves editing efficiency. We then examined the editing efficiency of eight high-specificity SpCas9 variants in combination with the improved tRNA-sgRNA fusion strategy. Our results suggest that highly specific SpCas9 variants require a higher level of expression than their wild-type counterpart to maintain high editing efficiency. Additionally, we demonstrate that T-DNA can be inserted into the cleavage sites of CRISPR/Cas9 targets with high frequency. Altogether, our results suggest that in plants, continuous attention should be paid to off-target effects induced by CRISPR/Cas9 in current and subsequent generations, and that the tools optimized in this report will be useful in improving genome editing efficiency and specificity in plants and other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Hui-Li Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Zhi-Ping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Hai-Yan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Fang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Xue-Chen Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China
| | - Qi-Jun Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100193, China.
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Brownbill P, Sebire N, McGillick EV, Ellery S, Murthi P. Ex Vivo Dual Perfusion of the Human Placenta: Disease Simulation, Therapeutic Pharmacokinetics and Analysis of Off-Target Effects. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1710:173-189. [PMID: 29197003 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7498-6_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In recent years ex vivo dual perfusion of the human placental lobule is seeing an international renaissance in its application to understanding fetal health and development. Here, we discuss the methods and uses of this technique in the evaluation of (1) vascular function, (2) transplacental clearance, (3) hemodynamic and oxygenation changes associated with pregnancy complications on placental structure and function, and (4) placental toxicology and post-perfusion evaluation of tissue architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Brownbill
- Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre, Division of Developmental Biology & Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
- St. Mary's Hospital, Central Manchester University Hospitals, NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, UK.
| | - Neil Sebire
- Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Erin V McGillick
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Stacey Ellery
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Padma Murthi
- The Ritchie Centre, Hudson Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medicine, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
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Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is a genetically dominant trinucleotide repeat disorder resulting from CAG repeats within the Huntingtin (HTT) gene exceeding a normal range (> 36 CAGs). Symptoms of the disease manifest in middle age and include chorea, dystonia, and cognitive decline. Typical latency from diagnosis to death is 20 years. There are currently no disease-modifying therapies available to HD patients. RNAi is a potentially curative therapy for HD. A popular line of research employs siRNA or antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) to knock down mutant Huntingtin mRNA (mHTT). Unfortunately, this modality requires repeated dosing, commonly exhibit off target effects (OTEs), and exert renal and hepatic toxicity. In contrast, a single AAV-mediated short-hairpin RNA (shRNA) dose can last years with low toxicity. In addition, we highlight research indicating that shRNA elicits fewer OTEs than siRNA when tested head-to-head. Despite this promise, shRNA therapy has been held back by difficulties controlling expression (oversaturating cells with toxic levels of RNA construct). In this review, we compare RNAi modalities for HD and propose novel methods of optimizing shRNA expression and on-target fidelity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Aguiar
- Molecular Neuroscience Laboratory, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS-CNS), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Fulbright Program, US Department of State (IIE), New York City, NY USA
| | - Bram van der Gaag
- Molecular Neuroscience Laboratory, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS-CNS), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Francesco Albert Bosco Cortese
- Biogerontology Research Foundation (BGRF), Oxford, UK
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University School of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada
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Seok H, Lee H, Jang ES, Chi SW. Evaluation and control of miRNA-like off-target repression for RNA interference. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 75:797-814. [PMID: 28905147 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2656-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
RNA interference (RNAi) has been widely adopted to repress specific gene expression and is easily achieved by designing small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) with perfect sequence complementarity to the intended target mRNAs. Although siRNAs direct Argonaute (Ago), a core component of the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), to recognize and silence target mRNAs, they also inevitably function as microRNAs (miRNAs) and suppress hundreds of off-targets. Such miRNA-like off-target repression is potentially detrimental, resulting in unwanted toxicity and phenotypes. Despite early recognition of the severity of miRNA-like off-target repression, this effect has often been overlooked because of difficulties in recognizing and avoiding off-targets. However, recent advances in genome-wide methods and knowledge of Ago-miRNA target interactions have set the stage for properly evaluating and controlling miRNA-like off-target repression. Here, we describe the intrinsic problems of miRNA-like off-target effects caused by canonical and noncanonical interactions. We particularly focus on various genome-wide approaches and chemical modifications for the evaluation and prevention of off-target repression to facilitate the use of RNAi with secured specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heeyoung Seok
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea
| | - Haejeong Lee
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea
| | - Eun-Sook Jang
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea
- EncodeGEN Co. Ltd, Seoul, 06329, Korea
| | - Sung Wook Chi
- Division of Life Sciences, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Korea.
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Abstract
Neuropeptides and their receptors play a role in physiological responses such as appetite, stress and inflammatory pain. With neuropeptides having such diverse and important physiological roles, knocking-out the genes encoding them, their receptors, parts of their regulatory sequences, or reproducing disease associated polymorphic variants are important steps in studying neuropeptides and how they may contribute to disease. Previously, knock-outs were generated using methods such as targeted homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells but this method is costly and time-consuming. The CRISPR/Cas9 system has rapidly taken over the genome editing field and will advance our understanding of neuropeptide genes and their regulation. With CRISPR/Cas9 technology, the time and costs involved in producing transgenic animal models, is greatly reduced. In this review, we describe how the system can be used to manipulate genomic sequences by "knock-out" or "knock-in" mutations in cell lines or in animal models. We also discuss the specificity of the system and methods to limit off-target effects. When combined with the availability of genome sequences, CRISPR/Cas9 directed genome editing in vitro and in vivo, promises to provide a deeper understanding of the biology of the neuropeptides in health and disease than has ever been available before.
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40
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Hay EA, Khalaf AR, Marini P, Brown A, Heath K, Sheppard D, MacKenzie A. An analysis of possible off target effects following CAS9/CRISPR targeted deletions of neuropeptide gene enhancers from the mouse genome. Neuropeptides 2017; 64:101-107. [PMID: 27866656 PMCID: PMC5529291 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
We have successfully used comparative genomics to identify putative regulatory elements within the human genome that contribute to the tissue specific expression of neuropeptides such as galanin and receptors such as CB1. However, a previous inability to rapidly delete these elements from the mouse genome has prevented optimal assessment of their function in-vivo. This has been solved using CAS9/CRISPR genome editing technology which uses a bacterial endonuclease called CAS9 that, in combination with specifically designed guide RNA (gRNA) molecules, cuts specific regions of the mouse genome. However, reports of "off target" effects, whereby the CAS9 endonuclease is able to cut sites other than those targeted, limits the appeal of this technology. We used cytoplasmic microinjection of gRNA and CAS9 mRNA into 1-cell mouse embryos to rapidly generate enhancer knockout mouse lines. The current study describes our analysis of the genomes of these enhancer knockout lines to detect possible off-target effects. Bioinformatic analysis was used to identify the most likely putative off-target sites and to design PCR primers that would amplify these sequences from genomic DNA of founder enhancer deletion mouse lines. Amplified DNA was then sequenced and blasted against the mouse genome sequence to detect off-target effects. Using this approach we were unable to detect any evidence of off-target effects in the genomes of three founder lines using any of the four gRNAs used in the analysis. This study suggests that the problem of off-target effects in transgenic mice have been exaggerated and that CAS9/CRISPR represents a highly effective and accurate method of deleting putative neuropeptide gene enhancer sequences from the mouse genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Anne Hay
- School of Medicine, Medical Science and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK
| | - Abdulla Razak Khalaf
- School of Medicine, Medical Science and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK
| | - Pietro Marini
- School of Medicine, Medical Science and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK
| | - Andrew Brown
- School of Medicine, Medical Science and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK
| | - Karyn Heath
- School of Medicine, Medical Science and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK
| | - Darrin Sheppard
- School of Medicine, Medical Science and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK
| | - Alasdair MacKenzie
- School of Medicine, Medical Science and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, Scotland, UK.
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Jaiswal A, Peddinti G, Akimov Y, Wennerberg K, Kuznetsov S, Tang J, Aittokallio T. Seed-effect modeling improves the consistency of genome-wide loss-of-function screens and identifies synthetic lethal vulnerabilities in cancer cells. Genome Med 2017; 9:51. [PMID: 28569207 PMCID: PMC5452371 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-017-0440-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Genome-wide loss-of-function profiling is widely used for systematic identification of genetic dependencies in cancer cells; however, the poor reproducibility of RNA interference (RNAi) screens has been a major concern due to frequent off-target effects. Currently, a detailed understanding of the key factors contributing to the sub-optimal consistency is still a lacking, especially on how to improve the reliability of future RNAi screens by controlling for factors that determine their off-target propensity. Methods We performed a systematic, quantitative analysis of the consistency between two genome-wide shRNA screens conducted on a compendium of cancer cell lines, and also compared several gene summarization methods for inferring gene essentiality from shRNA level data. We then devised novel concepts of seed essentiality and shRNA family, based on seed region sequences of shRNAs, to study in-depth the contribution of seed-mediated off-target effects to the consistency of the two screens. We further investigated two seed-sequence properties, seed pairing stability, and target abundance in terms of their capability to minimize the off-target effects in post-screening data analysis. Finally, we applied this novel methodology to identify genetic interactions and synthetic lethal partners of cancer drivers, and confirmed differential essentiality phenotypes by detailed CRISPR/Cas9 experiments. Results Using the novel concepts of seed essentiality and shRNA family, we demonstrate how genome-wide loss-of-function profiling of a common set of cancer cell lines can be actually made fairly reproducible when considering seed-mediated off-target effects. Importantly, by excluding shRNAs having higher propensity for off-target effects, based on their seed-sequence properties, one can remove noise from the genome-wide shRNA datasets. As a translational application case, we demonstrate enhanced reproducibility of genetic interaction partners of common cancer drivers, as well as identify novel synthetic lethal partners of a major oncogenic driver, PIK3CA, supported by a complementary CRISPR/Cas9 experiment. Conclusions We provide practical guidelines for improved design and analysis of genome-wide loss-of-function profiling and demonstrate how this novel strategy can be applied towards improved mapping of genetic dependencies of cancer cells to aid development of targeted anticancer treatments. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13073-017-0440-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok Jaiswal
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Gopal Peddinti
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yevhen Akimov
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Krister Wennerberg
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sergey Kuznetsov
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jing Tang
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Tero Aittokallio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. .,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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Abstract
RNA interference is an essential method for studying genomic functions of single genes by loss-of-function experiments. Short interfering siRNAs are efficiently transfected into cultured cells to enable RISC-mediated mRNA cleavage and inhibition of translation in a sequence-specific manner. RNAi enables knockdown of single genes and screening for specific cellular processes or outcomes. In this chapter, we describe a detailed universal protocol for lipoplex-mediated siRNA transfection for cell cultures and cell lysis for subsequent RNA or protein analysis. The experimental procedure is described for verification of knockdown and includes cell lysis for mRNA or protein quantification. Important aspects for specific gene silencing and potential pitfalls are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Baumann
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Cornelia Lorenzer
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael Thell
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna-Maria Winkler
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Winkler
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
- Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Vienna, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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Abstract
The prototypes of the human MYC and RAF gene families are orthologs of animal proto-oncogenes that were originally identified as transduced alleles in the genomes of highly oncogenic retroviruses. MYC and RAF genes are now established as key regulatory elements in normal cellular physiology, but also as major cancer driver genes. Although the predominantly nuclear MYC proteins and the cytoplasmic RAF proteins have different biochemical functions, they are functionally linked in pivotal signaling cascades and circuits. The MYC protein is a transcription factor and together with its dimerization partner MAX holds a central position in a regulatory network of bHLH-LZ proteins. MYC regulates transcription conducted by all RNA polymerases and controls virtually the entire transcriptome. Fundamental cellular processes including distinct catabolic and anabolic branches of metabolism, cell cycle regulation, cell growth and proliferation, differentiation, stem cell regulation, and apoptosis are under MYC control. Deregulation of MYC expression by rearrangement or amplification of the MYC locus or by defects in kinase-mediated upstream signaling, accompanied by loss of apoptotic checkpoints, leads to tumorigenesis and is a hallmark of most human cancers. The critically controlled serine/threonine RAF kinases are central nodes of the cytoplasmic MAPK signaling cascade transducing converted extracellular signals to the nucleus for reshaping transcription factor controlled gene expression profiles. Specific mutations of RAF kinases, such as the prevalent BRAF(V600E) mutation in melanoma, or defects in upstream signaling or feedback loops cause decoupled kinase activities which lead to tumorigenesis. Different strategies for pharmacological interference with MYC- or RAF-induced tumorigenesis are being developed and several RAF kinase inhibitors are already in clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Stefan
- Institute of Biochemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Klaus Bister
- Institute of Biochemistry and Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80-82, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
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44
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Saadatian-Elahi M, Aaby P, Shann F, Netea MG, Levy O, Louis J, Picot V, Greenberg M, Warren W. Heterologous vaccine effects. Vaccine 2016; 34:3923-30. [PMID: 27312214 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The heterologous or non-specific effects (NSEs) of vaccines, at times defined as "off-target effects" suggest that they can affect the immune response to organisms other than their pathogen-specific intended purpose. These NSEs have been the subject of clinical, immunological and epidemiological studies and are increasingly recognized as an important biological process by a growing group of immunologists and epidemiologists. Much remain to be learned about the extent and underlying mechanisms for these effects. The conference "Off-target effects of vaccination" held in Annecy-France (June 8-10 2015) intended to take a holistic approach drawing from the fields of immunology, systems biology, epidemiology, bioinformatics, public health and regulatory science to address fundamental questions of immunological mechanisms, as well as translational questions about vaccines NSEs. NSE observations were examined using case-studies on live attenuated vaccines and non-live vaccines followed by discussion of studies of possible biological mechanisms. Some possible pathways forward in the study of vaccines NSE were identified and discussed by the expert group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitra Saadatian-Elahi
- Hospices Civils de Lyon, Groupement Hospitalier Edouard Herriot, 5 Place d'Arsonval, 69437 Lyon cedex 03, France.
| | - Peter Aaby
- Bandim Health Project, INDEPTH Network, CP861 Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Frank Shann
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3052, Australia
| | - Mihai G Netea
- Department of Internal Medicine and Radboud Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ofer Levy
- Precision Vaccines Program, Boston Children's Hospital & Havard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jacques Louis
- Fondation Mérieux, 17 rue Bourgelat, 69002 Lyon, France
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45
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Abstract
RNAi technologies enable the testing of gene function in a cell-type- and stage-specific manner in Drosophila. The development of genome-wide RNAi libraries has allowed expansion of this approach to the genome scale and supports identification of most genes required for a given process in a cell type of choice. However, a large-scale RNAi approach also harbors many potential pitfalls that can complicate interpretation of the results. Here, we summarize published screens and provide a guide on how to optimally plan and perform a large-scale, in vivo RNAi screen. We highlight the importance of assay design and give suggestions on how to optimize the assay conditions by testing positive and negative control genes. These genes are used to estimate false-negative and false-positive rates of the screen data. We discuss the planning and logistics of a large-scale screen in detail and suggest bioinformatics platforms to identify and select gene groups of interest for secondary assays. Finally, we review various options to confirm RNAi knock-down specificity and thus identify high confidence genes for more detailed case-by-case studies in the future.
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46
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Hagen L, Sharma A, Aas PA, Slupphaug G. Off-target responses in the HeLa proteome subsequent to transient plasmid-mediated transfection. Biochim Biophys Acta 2014; 1854:84-90. [PMID: 25448019 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2014.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Transient transfection of mammalian cells with plasmid expression vectors and chemical transfection reagents is widely used to study protein transport and dynamics as well as phenotypic alterations mediated by the overexpressed protein. Despite the undisputed impact of this technique, surprisingly little is known about the cellular effects mediated by the transfection process per se. Conceivably, off-target effects could have implications upon proteins or processes being studied and understanding the molecular pathways affected would add value to the interpretation of experimental observations subsequent to cell transfection. Here we have used a SILAC-based proteomic approach to study differentially expressed proteins after transfection of HeLa cells with ECFP vector using a commonly employed non-liposome based transfection reagent, Fugene®HD. Whereas the transfection reagent itself mediated minimal effects upon protein expression, 11 proteins were found to be significantly upregulated after transfection, all of which were associated with an interferon type I/II response. The upregulated proteins might potentially inflict major cellular processes such as RNA splicing, chromatin remodeling, post-translational protein modification and cell cycle control. The results were validated by western analysis as well as quantitative RT-PCR and this demonstrated that an essentially identical response was induced in HeLa by transfection using an empty pUC18 vector, which does not contain a mammalian virus promoter, as well as a liposome-based transfection reagent, Lipofectamine(TM)2000. Notably, no induction of the interferon response was observed in HEK293 cells, suggesting that these cells might be preferable to HeLa to avoid undesired off-target effects in transfection studies encompassing interferon-signaling and antiviral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lars Hagen
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and PROMEC Core Facility for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Animesh Sharma
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and PROMEC Core Facility for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Per Arne Aas
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and PROMEC Core Facility for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Geir Slupphaug
- Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine and PROMEC Core Facility for Proteomics and Metabolomics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
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Ishii K, Sugimura Y. Identification of a new pharmacological activity of the phenylpiperazine derivative naftopidil: tubulin-binding drug. J Chem Biol 2014; 8:5-9. [PMID: 25584077 DOI: 10.1007/s12154-014-0122-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/25/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The phenylpiperazine derivative naftopidil is an α1-adrenoceptor (AR) antagonist that has been used clinically to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. In our drug repositioning research, naftopidil shows the unique growth-inhibitory effects. Naftopidil inhibits cell cycle progression not only in cancer cells, but also in fibroblasts and vascular endothelial cells. Naftopidil-inhibited cell cycle progression is independent of α1-AR expression in cells. Therefore, the antiproliferative effects of naftopidil may be due to the off-target effects of the drug. In this study, we attempted to identify the off-target molecules of naftopidil using the magnetic nanobeads, ferrite glycidyl metharcrylate (FG) beads. Similar to naftopidil, its derivatives TG09-01 and TG09-02, which were introduced with amino groups for immobilizing to FG beads, inhibited cell growth in human HT29 colon adenocarcinoma cells. Both derivatives were associated with inhibition of cell cycle progression in HT29 cells. This observation is consistent with that seen with naftopidil. Using TG09-02-immobilized FG beads, α- and β-tubulins were identified as the specific binding proteins of naftopidil. The tubulin polymerization assay clearly indicated that naftopidil bound directly to tubulin and inhibited the polymerization of tubulin. Other phenylpiperazine derivatives, such as RS100329, BMY7378, and KN-62, also inhibited the polymerization of tubulin. These results suggest that phenylpiperazine derivatives including naftopidil may have broad spectrum of cellular cytotoxicity in various types of cells. In addition, the tubulin polymerization-inhibiting activity of phenylpiperazine derivatives may be a specific feature of the phenylpiperazine-based structure. These findings can allow us to design and synthesize new tubulin-binding drugs derived from naftopidil as a lead compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenichiro Ishii
- Department of Nephro-Urologic Surgery and Andrology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie 514-8507 Japan ; Department of Oncologic Pathology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie Japan
| | - Yoshiki Sugimura
- Department of Nephro-Urologic Surgery and Andrology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie 514-8507 Japan
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48
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Abstract
CRISPR RNA-guided nucleases have recently emerged as a robust genome-editing platform that functions in a wide range of organisms. To reduce off-target effects of these nucleases, we developed and validated a modified system that uses truncated guide RNAs (tru-gRNAs). The use of tru-gRNAs leads to decreases in off-target effects and does not generally compromise the on-target efficiencies of these genome-editing nucleases. In this chapter, we describe guidelines for identifying potential tru-gRNA target sites and protocols for measuring the on-target efficiencies of CRISPR RNA-guided nucleases in human cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfang Fu
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Deepak Reyon
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - J Keith Joung
- Molecular Pathology Unit, Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, and Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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49
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Abstract
Xenopus tropicalis has been developed as a model organism for developmental biology, providing a system offering both modern genetics and classical embryology. Recently, the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR-associated (CRISPR/Cas) system for genome modification has provided an additional tool for Xenopus researchers to achieve simple and efficient targeted mutagenesis. Here, we provide insights into experimental design and procedures permitting successful application of this technique to Xenopus researchers, and offer a general strategy for performing loss-of-function assays in F0 and subsequently F1 embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Nakayama
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Ira L Blitz
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Margaret B Fish
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Akinleye O Odeleye
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Sumanth Manohar
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Ken W Y Cho
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, California, USA
| | - Robert M Grainger
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
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