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Fan T, Cheng Y, Wu Y, Liu S, Tang X, He Y, Liao S, Zheng X, Zhang T, Qi Y, Zhang Y. High performance TadA-8e derived cytosine and dual base editors with undetectable off-target effects in plants. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5103. [PMID: 38877035 PMCID: PMC11178825 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49473-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Cytosine base editors (CBEs) and adenine base editors (ABEs) enable precise C-to-T and A-to-G edits. Recently, ABE8e, derived from TadA-8e, enhances A-to-G edits in mammalian cells and plants. Interestingly, TadA-8e can also be evolved to confer C-to-T editing. This study compares engineered CBEs derived from TadA-8e in rice and tomato cells, identifying TadCBEa, TadCBEd, and TadCBEd_V106W as efficient CBEs with high purity and a narrow editing window. A dual base editor, TadDE, promotes simultaneous C-to-T and A-to-G editing. Multiplexed base editing with TadCBEa and TadDE is demonstrated in transgenic rice, with no off-target effects detected by whole genome and transcriptome sequencing, indicating high specificity. Finally, two crop engineering applications using TadDE are shown: introducing herbicide resistance alleles in OsALS and creating synonymous mutations in OsSPL14 to resist OsMIR156-mediated degradation. Together, this study presents TadA-8e derived CBEs and a dual base editor as valuable additions to the plant editing toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Fan
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yanhao Cheng
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, ML, 20742, USA
| | - Yuechao Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China
| | - Shishi Liu
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Xu Tang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Yao He
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Shanyue Liao
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
| | - Xuelian Zheng
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
| | - Yiping Qi
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, ML, 20742, USA.
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, ML, 20850, USA.
| | - Yong Zhang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (Chongqing) Science City, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China.
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2
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Masarwy R, Stotsky-Oterin L, Elisha A, Hazan-Halevy I, Peer D. Delivery of nucleic acid based genome editing platforms via lipid nanoparticles: Clinical applications. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024; 211:115359. [PMID: 38857763 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/12/2024]
Abstract
CRISPR/Cas technology presents a promising approach for treating a wide range of diseases, including cancer and genetic disorders. Despite its potential, the translation of CRISPR/Cas into effective in-vivo gene therapy encounters challenges, primarily due to the need for safe and efficient delivery mechanisms. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), FDA-approved for RNA delivery, show potential for delivering also CRISPR/Cas, offering the capability to efficiently encapsulate large mRNA molecules with single guide RNAs. However, achieving precise targeting in-vivo remains a significant obstacle, necessitating further research into optimizing LNP formulations. Strategies to enhance specificity, such as modifying LNP structures and incorporating targeting ligands, are explored to improve organ and cell type targeting. Furthermore, the development of base and prime editing technology presents a potential breakthrough, offering precise modifications without generating double-strand breaks (DSBs). Prime editing, particularly when delivered via targeted LNPs, holds promise for treating diverse diseases safely and precisely. This review assesses both the progress made and the persistent challenges faced in using LNP-encapsulated CRISPR-based technologies for therapeutic purposes, with a particular focus on clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razan Masarwy
- Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine, The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lior Stotsky-Oterin
- Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine, The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aviad Elisha
- Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine, The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Inbal Hazan-Halevy
- Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine, The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Dan Peer
- Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine, The Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Iby and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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3
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Leandro K, Rufino-Ramos D, Breyne K, Di Ianni E, Lopes SM, Jorge Nobre R, Kleinstiver BP, Perdigão PRL, Breakefield XO, Pereira de Almeida L. Exploring the potential of cell-derived vesicles for transient delivery of gene editing payloads. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2024:115346. [PMID: 38849005 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2024.115346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Gene editing technologies have the potential to correct genetic disorders by modifying, inserting, or deleting specific DNA sequences or genes, paving the way for a new class of genetic therapies. While gene editing tools continue to be improved to increase their precision and efficiency, the limited efficacy of in vivo delivery remains a major hurdle for clinical use. An ideal delivery vehicle should be able to target a sufficient number of diseased cells in a transient time window to maximize on-target editing and mitigate off-target events and immunogenicity. Here, we review major advances in novel delivery platforms based on cell-derived vesicles - extracellular vesicles and virus-like particles - for transient delivery of gene editing payloads. We discuss major findings regarding packaging, in vivo biodistribution, therapeutic efficacy, and safety concerns of cell-derived vesicles delivery of gene-editing cargos and their potential for clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Leandro
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; GeneT - Gene Therapy Center of Excellence Portugal, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - David Rufino-Ramos
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; GeneT - Gene Therapy Center of Excellence Portugal, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Koen Breyne
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Neurology and Center for Molecular Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Emilio Di Ianni
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Neurology and Center for Molecular Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Sara M Lopes
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; GeneT - Gene Therapy Center of Excellence Portugal, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; IIIUC - Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rui Jorge Nobre
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; GeneT - Gene Therapy Center of Excellence Portugal, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; IIIUC - Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal; ViraVector - Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal
| | - Benjamin P Kleinstiver
- Center for Genomic Medicine and Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Pedro R L Perdigão
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; GeneT - Gene Therapy Center of Excellence Portugal, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; IIIUC - Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra, 3030-789 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Xandra O Breakefield
- Molecular Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Neurology and Center for Molecular Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Luís Pereira de Almeida
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; CIBB - Center for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology, University of Coimbra, 3004-504 Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, 3000-548 Coimbra, Portugal; GeneT - Gene Therapy Center of Excellence Portugal, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; ViraVector - Viral Vector for Gene Transfer Core Facility, University of Coimbra, Coimbra 3004-504, Portugal.
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Xu K, Feng H, Zhang H, He C, Kang H, Yuan T, Shi L, Zhou C, Hua G, Cao Y, Zuo Z, Zuo E. Structure-guided discovery of highly efficient cytidine deaminases with sequence-context independence. Nat Biomed Eng 2024:10.1038/s41551-024-01220-8. [PMID: 38831042 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-024-01220-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
The applicability of cytosine base editors is hindered by their dependence on sequence context and by off-target effects. Here, by using AlphaFold2 to predict the three-dimensional structure of 1,483 cytidine deaminases and by experimentally characterizing representative deaminases (selected from each structural cluster after categorizing them via partitional clustering), we report the discovery of a few deaminases with high editing efficiencies, diverse editing windows and increased ratios of on-target to off-target effects. Specifically, several deaminases induced C-to-T conversions with comparable efficiency at AC/TC/CC/GC sites, the deaminases could introduce stop codons in single-copy and multi-copy genes in mammalian cells without double-strand breaks, and some residue conversions at predicted DNA-interacting sites reduced off-target effects. Structure-based generative machine learning could be further leveraged to expand the applicability of base editors in gene therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Xu
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hu Feng
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haihang Zhang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chenfei He
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huifang Kang
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tanglong Yuan
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lei Shi
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chikai Zhou
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guoying Hua
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yaqi Cao
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhenrui Zuo
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Erwei Zuo
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
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5
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Villiger L, Joung J, Koblan L, Weissman J, Abudayyeh OO, Gootenberg JS. CRISPR technologies for genome, epigenome and transcriptome editing. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2024; 25:464-487. [PMID: 38308006 DOI: 10.1038/s41580-023-00697-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Our ability to edit genomes lags behind our capacity to sequence them, but the growing understanding of CRISPR biology and its application to genome, epigenome and transcriptome engineering is narrowing this gap. In this Review, we discuss recent developments of various CRISPR-based systems that can transiently or permanently modify the genome and the transcriptome. The discovery of further CRISPR enzymes and systems through functional metagenomics has meaningfully broadened the applicability of CRISPR-based editing. Engineered Cas variants offer diverse capabilities such as base editing, prime editing, gene insertion and gene regulation, thereby providing a panoply of tools for the scientific community. We highlight the strengths and weaknesses of current CRISPR tools, considering their efficiency, precision, specificity, reliance on cellular DNA repair mechanisms and their applications in both fundamental biology and therapeutics. Finally, we discuss ongoing clinical trials that illustrate the potential impact of CRISPR systems on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Villiger
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Julia Joung
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Luke Koblan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan Weissman
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Omar O Abudayyeh
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Jonathan S Gootenberg
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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6
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Fiumara M, Ferrari S, Omer-Javed A, Beretta S, Albano L, Canarutto D, Varesi A, Gaddoni C, Brombin C, Cugnata F, Zonari E, Naldini MM, Barcella M, Gentner B, Merelli I, Naldini L. Genotoxic effects of base and prime editing in human hematopoietic stem cells. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:877-891. [PMID: 37679541 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01915-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Base and prime editors (BEs and PEs) may provide more precise genetic engineering than nuclease-based approaches because they bypass the dependence on DNA double-strand breaks. However, little is known about their cellular responses and genotoxicity. Here, we compared state-of-the-art BEs and PEs and Cas9 in human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells with respect to editing efficiency, cytotoxicity, transcriptomic changes and on-target and genome-wide genotoxicity. BEs and PEs induced detrimental transcriptional responses that reduced editing efficiency and hematopoietic repopulation in xenotransplants and also generated DNA double-strand breaks and genotoxic byproducts, including deletions and translocations, at a lower frequency than Cas9. These effects were strongest for cytidine BEs due to suboptimal inhibition of base excision repair and were mitigated by tailoring delivery timing and editor expression through optimized mRNA design. However, BEs altered the mutational landscape of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells across the genome by increasing the load and relative proportions of nucleotide variants. These findings raise concerns about the genotoxicity of BEs and PEs and warrant further investigation in view of their clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Fiumara
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Samuele Ferrari
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
| | - Attya Omer-Javed
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Beretta
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Luisa Albano
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniele Canarutto
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
- Pediatric Immunohematology Unit and BMT Program, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Angelica Varesi
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Gaddoni
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Brombin
- University Center for Statistics in the Biomedical Sciences, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Cugnata
- University Center for Statistics in the Biomedical Sciences, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy
| | - Erika Zonari
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Maria Naldini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Barcella
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Bernhard Gentner
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Ivan Merelli
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
- National Research Council, Institute for Biomedical Technologies, Segrate, Italy
| | - Luigi Naldini
- San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
- Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
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7
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Oh BL, Vinanica N, Wong DM, Campana D. Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Haematologica 2024; 109:1677-1688. [PMID: 38832423 PMCID: PMC11141683 DOI: 10.3324/haematol.2023.283848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a new and effective treatment for patients with hematologic malignancies. Clinical responses to CAR T cells in leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma have provided strong evidence of the antitumor activity of these cells. In patients with refractory or relapsed B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the infusion of autologous anti-CD19 CAR T cells is rapidly gaining standard-of-care status and might eventually be incorporated into frontline treatment. In T-ALL, however, leukemic cells generally lack surface molecules recognized by established CAR, such as CD19 and CD22. Such deficiency is particularly important, as outcome is dismal for patients with T-ALL that is refractory to standard chemotherapy and/or hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Recently, CAR T-cell technologies directed against T-cell malignancies have been developed and are beginning to be tested clinically. The main technical obstacles stem from the fact that malignant and normal T cells share most surface antigens. Therefore, CAR T cells directed against T-ALL targets might be susceptible to self-elimination during manufacturing and/or have suboptimal activity after infusion. Moreover, removing leukemic cells that might be present in the cell source used for CAR T-cell manufacturing might be problematic. Finally, reconstitution of T cells and natural killer cells after CAR T-cell infusion might be impaired. In this article, we discuss potential targets for CAR T-cell therapy of T-ALL with an emphasis on CD7, and review CAR configurations as well as early clinical results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernice L.Z. Oh
- Viva-University Children’s Cancer Center, Khoo Teck Puat-National University Children’s Medical Institute, National University Hospital, National University Health System
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
| | - Natasha Vinanica
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
| | - Desmond M.H. Wong
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
| | - Dario Campana
- Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore
- Cancer Science Institute, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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8
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Palaz F, Ozsoz M, Zarrinpar A, Sahin I. CRISPR in Targeted Therapy and Adoptive T Cell Immunotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma. J Hepatocell Carcinoma 2024; 11:975-995. [PMID: 38832119 PMCID: PMC11146628 DOI: 10.2147/jhc.s456683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite recent therapeutic advancements, outcomes for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unsatisfactory, highlighting the need for novel treatments. The CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) gene-editing technology offers innovative treatment approaches, involving genetic manipulation of either cancer cells or adoptive T cells to combat HCC. This review comprehensively assesses the applications of CRISPR systems in HCC treatment, focusing on in vivo targeting of cancer cells and the development of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells and T cell receptor (TCR)-engineered T cells. We explore potential synergies between CRISPR-based cancer therapeutics and existing treatment options, discussing ongoing clinical trials and the role of CRISPR technology in improving HCC treatment outcomes with advanced safety measures. In summary, this review provides insights into the promising prospects and current challenges of using CRISPR technology in HCC treatment, with the ultimate goal of improving patient outcomes and revolutionizing the landscape of HCC therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahreddin Palaz
- Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mehmet Ozsoz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Near East University, Nicosia, Turkey
| | - Ali Zarrinpar
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Ilyas Sahin
- University of Florida Health Cancer Center, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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9
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Sun P, Han X, Milne RJ, Li G. Trans-crop applications of atypical R genes for multipathogen resistance. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024:S1360-1385(24)00122-5. [PMID: 38811244 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2024] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Genetic resistance to plant diseases is essential for global food security. Significant progress has been achieved for plant disease-resistance (R) genes comprising nucleotide-binding domain, leucine-rich repeat-containing receptors (NLRs), and membrane-localized receptor-like kinases or proteins (RLKs/RLPs), which we refer to as typical R genes. However, there is a knowledge gap in how non-receptor-type or atypical R genes contribute to plant immunity. Here, we summarize resources and technologies facilitating the study of atypical R genes, examine diverse atypical R proteins for broad-spectrum resistance, and outline potential approaches for trans-crop applications of atypical R genes. Studies of atypical R genes are important for a holistic understanding of plant immunity and the development of novel strategies in disease control and crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Sun
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, The Center of Crop Nanobiotechnology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Xinyu Han
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, The Center of Crop Nanobiotechnology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China
| | - Ricky J Milne
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
| | - Guotian Li
- National Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Hubei Hongshan Laboratory, Hubei Key Laboratory of Plant Pathology, The Center of Crop Nanobiotechnology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.
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10
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Wu Y, Li Y, Liu Y, Xiu X, Liu J, Zhang L, Li J, Du G, Lv X, Chen J, Ledesma-Amaro R, Liu L. Multiplexed in-situ mutagenesis driven by a dCas12a-based dual-function base editor. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:4739-4755. [PMID: 38567723 PMCID: PMC11077070 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutagenesis driving genetic diversity is vital for understanding and engineering biological systems. However, the lack of effective methods to generate in-situ mutagenesis in multiple genomic loci combinatorially limits the study of complex biological functions. Here, we design and construct MultiduBE, a dCas12a-based multiplexed dual-function base editor, in an all-in-one plasmid for performing combinatorial in-situ mutagenesis. Two synthetic effectors, duBE-1a and duBE-2b, are created by amalgamating the functionalities of cytosine deaminase (from hAPOBEC3A or hAID*Δ ), adenine deaminase (from TadA9), and crRNA array processing (from dCas12a). Furthermore, introducing the synthetic separator Sp4 minimizes interference in the crRNA array, thereby facilitating multiplexed in-situ mutagenesis in both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. Guided by the corresponding crRNA arrays, MultiduBE is successfully employed for cell physiology reprogramming and metabolic regulation. A novel mutation conferring streptomycin resistance has been identified in B. subtilis and incorporated into the mutant strains with multiple antibiotic resistance. Moreover, surfactin and riboflavin titers of the combinatorially mutant strains improved by 42% and 15-fold, respectively, compared with the control strains with single gene mutation. Overall, MultiduBE provides a convenient and efficient way to perform multiplexed in-situ mutagenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaokang Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yang Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Yanfeng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiang Xiu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jiaheng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Linpei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, School of Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jianghua Li
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Guocheng Du
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xueqin Lv
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Rodrigo Ledesma-Amaro
- Department of Bioengineering and Centre for Synthetic Biology, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Long Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
- Science Center for Future Foods, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
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11
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Wang X, Fang T, Lu J, Tripathi L, Qi Y. Broad range plastid genome editing with monomeric TALE-linked cytosine and dual base editors. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2024. [PMID: 38709858 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Wang
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
- College of Life Science and Food Engineering, Inner Mongolia Minzu University, Tongliao, China
| | - Tyson Fang
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jason Lu
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Leena Tripathi
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Yiping Qi
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, Maryland, USA
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12
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Lazzarotto CR, Katta V, Li Y, Urbina E, Lee G, Tsai SQ. CHANGE-seq-BE enables simultaneously sensitive and unbiased in vitro profiling of base editor genome-wide activity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.28.586621. [PMID: 38585919 PMCID: PMC10996588 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.28.586621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Base editors ( BE ) enable programmable conversion of nucleotides in genomic DNA without double-stranded breaks and have substantial promise to become new transformative genome editing medicines. Sensitive and unbiased detection of base editor off-target effects is important for identifying safety risks unique to base editors and translation to human therapeutics, as well as accurate use in life sciences research. However, current methods for understanding the global activities of base editors have limitations in terms of sensitivity or bias. Here we present CHANGE-seq-BE, a novel method to directly assess the off-target profile of base editors that is simultaneously sensitive and unbiased. CHANGE-seq-BE is based on the principle of selective sequencing of adenine base editor modified genomic DNA in vitro , and provides an accessible, rapid, and comprehensive method for identifying genome-wide off-target mutations of base editors.
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13
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Feng S, Rcheulishvili N, Jiang X, Zhu P, Pan X, Wei M, Wang PG, Ji Y, Papukashvili D. A review on Gaucher disease: therapeutic potential of β-glucocerebrosidase-targeted mRNA/saRNA approach. Int J Biol Sci 2024; 20:2111-2129. [PMID: 38617529 PMCID: PMC11008270 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.87741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Gaucher disease (GD), a rare hereditary lysosomal storage disorder, occurs due to a deficiency in the enzyme β-glucocerebrosidase (GCase). This deficiency leads to the buildup of substrate glucosylceramide (GlcCer) in macrophages, eventually resulting in various complications. Among its three types, GD2 is particularly severe with neurological involvements. Current treatments, such as enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), are not effective for GD2 and GD3 due to their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Other treatment approaches, such as gene or chaperone therapies are still in experimental stages. Additionally, GD treatments are costly and can have certain side effects. The successful use of messenger RNA (mRNA)-based vaccines for COVID-19 in 2020 has sparked interest in nucleic acid-based therapies. Remarkably, mRNA technology also offers a novel approach for protein replacement purposes. Additionally, self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) technology shows promise, potentially producing more protein at lower doses. This review aims to explore the potential of a cost-effective mRNA/saRNA-based approach for GD therapy. The use of GCase-mRNA/saRNA as a protein replacement therapy could offer a new and promising direction for improving the quality of life and extending the lifespan of individuals with GD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shunping Feng
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Nino Rcheulishvili
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, China
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | | | - Pan Zhu
- Cheerland Biomedicine, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xuehua Pan
- Shenzhen Pengbo Biotech Co. Ltd, Shenzhen, China
| | - Meilan Wei
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Peng George Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Yang Ji
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Dimitri Papukashvili
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, China
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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14
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Smekalova EM, Martinez MG, Combe E, Kumar A, Dejene S, Leboeuf D, Chen CY, Dorkin JR, Shuang LS, Kieft S, Young L, Barrera LA, Packer MS, Ciaramella G, Testoni B, Gregoire F, Zoulim F. Cytosine base editing inhibits hepatitis B virus replication and reduces HBsAg expression in vitro and in vivo. MOLECULAR THERAPY. NUCLEIC ACIDS 2024; 35:102112. [PMID: 38292874 PMCID: PMC10825689 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtn.2023.102112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global health problem due to the lack of treatments that prevent viral rebound from HBV covalently closed circular (ccc)DNA. In addition, HBV DNA integrates in the human genome, serving as a source of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) expression, which impairs anti-HBV immune responses. Cytosine base editors (CBEs) enable precise conversion of a cytosine into a thymine within DNA. In this study, CBEs were used to introduce stop codons in HBV genes, HBs and Precore. Transfection with mRNA encoding a CBE and a combination of two guide RNAs led to robust cccDNA editing and sustained reduction of the viral markers in HBV-infected HepG2-NTCP cells and primary human hepatocytes. Furthermore, base editing efficiently reduced HBsAg expression from HBV sequences integrated within the genome of the PLC/PRF/5 and HepG2.2.15 cell lines. Finally, in the HBV minicircle mouse model, using lipid nanoparticulate delivery, we demonstrated antiviral efficacy of the base editing approach with a >3log10 reduction in serum HBV DNA and >2log10 reduction in HBsAg, and 4/5 mice showing HBsAg loss. Combined, these data indicate that base editing can introduce mutations in both cccDNA and integrated HBV DNA, abrogating HBV replication and silencing viral protein expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria G. Martinez
- INSERM U1052, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR 5286, 69008 Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, UMR_S1052, UCBL, 69008 Lyon, France
- Hepatology Institute of Lyon, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Emmanuel Combe
- INSERM U1052, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR 5286, 69008 Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, UMR_S1052, UCBL, 69008 Lyon, France
- Hepatology Institute of Lyon, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Anuj Kumar
- INSERM U1052, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR 5286, 69008 Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, UMR_S1052, UCBL, 69008 Lyon, France
- Hepatology Institute of Lyon, 69008 Lyon, France
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Barbara Testoni
- INSERM U1052, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR 5286, 69008 Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, UMR_S1052, UCBL, 69008 Lyon, France
- Hepatology Institute of Lyon, 69008 Lyon, France
| | | | - Fabien Zoulim
- INSERM U1052, Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR 5286, 69008 Lyon, France
- University of Lyon, UMR_S1052, UCBL, 69008 Lyon, France
- Hepatology Institute of Lyon, 69008 Lyon, France
- Hepatology Department, Hospices Civils de Lyon (HCL), 69004 Lyon, France
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15
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Ely ZA, Mathey-Andrews N, Naranjo S, Gould SI, Mercer KL, Newby GA, Cabana CM, Rideout WM, Jaramillo GC, Khirallah JM, Holland K, Randolph PB, Freed-Pastor WA, Davis JR, Kulstad Z, Westcott PMK, Lin L, Anzalone AV, Horton BL, Pattada NB, Shanahan SL, Ye Z, Spranger S, Xu Q, Sánchez-Rivera FJ, Liu DR, Jacks T. A prime editor mouse to model a broad spectrum of somatic mutations in vivo. Nat Biotechnol 2024; 42:424-436. [PMID: 37169967 PMCID: PMC11120832 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-023-01783-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Genetically engineered mouse models only capture a small fraction of the genetic lesions that drive human cancer. Current CRISPR-Cas9 models can expand this fraction but are limited by their reliance on error-prone DNA repair. Here we develop a system for in vivo prime editing by encoding a Cre-inducible prime editor in the mouse germline. This model allows rapid, precise engineering of a wide range of mutations in cell lines and organoids derived from primary tissues, including a clinically relevant Kras mutation associated with drug resistance and Trp53 hotspot mutations commonly observed in pancreatic cancer. With this system, we demonstrate somatic prime editing in vivo using lipid nanoparticles, and we model lung and pancreatic cancer through viral delivery of prime editing guide RNAs or orthotopic transplantation of prime-edited organoids. We believe that this approach will accelerate functional studies of cancer-associated mutations and complex genetic combinations that are challenging to construct with traditional models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zackery A Ely
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicolas Mathey-Andrews
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Santiago Naranjo
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Samuel I Gould
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kim L Mercer
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gregory A Newby
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christina M Cabana
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - William M Rideout
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Grissel Cervantes Jaramillo
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Katie Holland
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Angelo State University, San Angelo, TX, USA
| | - Peyton B Randolph
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - William A Freed-Pastor
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jessie R Davis
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zachary Kulstad
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter M K Westcott
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Huntington, NY, USA
| | - Lin Lin
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrew V Anzalone
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Brendan L Horton
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nimisha B Pattada
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sean-Luc Shanahan
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Zhongfeng Ye
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Stefani Spranger
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Qiaobing Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Francisco J Sánchez-Rivera
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David R Liu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tyler Jacks
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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16
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Pacesa M, Pelea O, Jinek M. Past, present, and future of CRISPR genome editing technologies. Cell 2024; 187:1076-1100. [PMID: 38428389 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.01.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Genome editing has been a transformative force in the life sciences and human medicine, offering unprecedented opportunities to dissect complex biological processes and treat the underlying causes of many genetic diseases. CRISPR-based technologies, with their remarkable efficiency and easy programmability, stand at the forefront of this revolution. In this Review, we discuss the current state of CRISPR gene editing technologies in both research and therapy, highlighting limitations that constrain them and the technological innovations that have been developed in recent years to address them. Additionally, we examine and summarize the current landscape of gene editing applications in the context of human health and therapeutics. Finally, we outline potential future developments that could shape gene editing technologies and their applications in the coming years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Pacesa
- Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Station 19, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Oana Pelea
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martin Jinek
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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17
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Berríos KN, Barka A, Gill J, Serrano JC, Bailer PF, Parker JB, Evitt NH, Gajula KS, Shi J, Kohli RM. Cooperativity between Cas9 and hyperactive AID establishes broad and diversifying mutational footprints in base editors. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:2078-2090. [PMID: 38261989 PMCID: PMC10899762 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The partnership of DNA deaminase enzymes with CRISPR-Cas nucleases is now a well-established method to enable targeted genomic base editing. However, an understanding of how Cas9 and DNA deaminases collaborate to shape base editor (BE) outcomes has been lacking. Here, we support a novel mechanistic model of base editing by deriving a range of hyperactive activation-induced deaminase (AID) base editors (hBEs) and exploiting their characteristic diversifying activity. Our model involves multiple layers of previously underappreciated cooperativity in BE steps including: (i) Cas9 binding can potentially expose both DNA strands for 'capture' by the deaminase, a feature that is enhanced by guide RNA mismatches; (ii) after strand capture, the intrinsic activity of the DNA deaminase can tune window size and base editing efficiency; (iii) Cas9 defines the boundaries of editing on each strand, with deamination blocked by Cas9 binding to either the PAM or the protospacer and (iv) non-canonical edits on the guide RNA bound strand can be further elicited by changing which strand is nicked by Cas9. Leveraging insights from our mechanistic model, we create novel hBEs that can remarkably generate simultaneous C > T and G > A transitions over >65 bp with significant potential for targeted gene diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiara N Berríos
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aleksia Barka
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jasleen Gill
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Juan C Serrano
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Peter F Bailer
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jared B Parker
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Niklaus H Evitt
- Graduate Group in Cell and Molecular Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kiran S Gajula
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Junwei Shi
- Department of Cancer Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rahul M Kohli
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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18
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Zhang E, Neugebauer ME, Krasnow NA, Liu DR. Phage-assisted evolution of highly active cytosine base editors with enhanced selectivity and minimal sequence context preference. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1697. [PMID: 38402281 PMCID: PMC10894238 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45969-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024] Open
Abstract
TadA-derived cytosine base editors (TadCBEs) enable programmable C•G-to-T•A editing while retaining the small size, high on-target activity, and low off-target activity of TadA deaminases. Existing TadCBEs, however, exhibit residual A•T-to-G•C editing at certain positions and lower editing efficiencies at some sequence contexts and with non-SpCas9 targeting domains. To address these limitations, we use phage-assisted evolution to evolve CBE6s from a TadA-mediated dual cytosine and adenine base editor, discovering mutations at N46 and Y73 in TadA that prevent A•T-to-G•C editing and improve C•G-to-T•A editing with expanded sequence-context compatibility, respectively. In E. coli, CBE6 variants offer high C•G-to-T•A editing and no detected A•T-to-G•C editing in any sequence context. In human cells, CBE6 variants exhibit broad Cas domain compatibility and retain low off-target editing despite exceeding BE4max and previous TadCBEs in on-target editing efficiency. Finally, we show that the high selectivity of CBE6 variants is well-suited for therapeutically relevant stop codon installation without creating unwanted missense mutations from residual A•T-to-G•C editing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Zhang
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Monica E Neugebauer
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas A Krasnow
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David R Liu
- Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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19
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Sun Y, Chen Q, Cheng Y, Wang X, Deng Z, Zhou F, Sun Y. Design and Engineering of Light-Induced Base Editors Facilitating Genome Editing with Enhanced Fidelity. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305311. [PMID: 38039441 PMCID: PMC10837352 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/03/2023]
Abstract
Base editors, which enable targeted locus nucleotide conversion in genomic DNA without double-stranded breaks, have been engineered as powerful tools for biotechnological and clinical applications. However, the application of base editors is limited by their off-target effects. Continuously expressed deaminases used for gene editing may lead to unwanted base alterations at unpredictable genomic locations. In the present study, blue-light-activated base editors (BLBEs) are engineered based on the distinct photoswitches magnets that can switch from a monomer to dimerization state in response to blue light. By fusing the N- and C-termini of split DNA deaminases with photoswitches Magnets, efficient A-to-G and C-to-T base editing is achieved in response to blue light in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Furthermore, the results showed that BLBEs can realize precise blue light-induced gene editing across broad genomic loci with low off-target activity at the DNA- and RNA-level. Collectively, these findings suggest that the optogenetic utilization of base editing and optical base editors may provide powerful tools to promote the development of optogenetic genome engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yangning Sun
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yanbing Cheng
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Xi Wang
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Zixin Deng
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Fuling Zhou
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yuhui Sun
- Department of Hematology, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
- Key Laboratory of Combinatorial Biosynthesis and Drug Discovery (Ministry of Education), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
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20
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Zhang Y, Wu ZY. Gene therapy for monogenic disorders: challenges, strategies, and perspectives. J Genet Genomics 2024; 51:133-143. [PMID: 37586590 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2023.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Monogenic disorders refer to a group of human diseases caused by mutations in single genes. While disease-modifying therapies have offered some relief from symptoms and delayed progression for some monogenic diseases, most of these diseases still lack effective treatments. In recent decades, gene therapy has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy for genetic disorders. Researchers have developed various gene manipulation tools and gene delivery systems to treat monogenic diseases. Despite this progress, concerns about inefficient delivery, persistent expression, immunogenicity, toxicity, capacity limitation, genomic integration, and limited tissue specificity still need to be addressed. This review gives an overview of commonly used gene therapy and delivery tools, along with the challenges they face and potential strategies to counter them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- Department of Medical Genetics and Center for Rare Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China
| | - Zhi-Ying Wu
- Department of Medical Genetics and Center for Rare Diseases, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China; Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310009, China.
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21
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Nicolia A, Scotti N, D'Agostino N, Festa G, Sannino L, Aufiero G, Arimura SI, Cardi T. Mitochondrial DNA editing in potato through mitoTALEN and mitoTALECD: molecular characterization and stability of editing events. PLANT METHODS 2024; 20:4. [PMID: 38183104 PMCID: PMC10768376 DOI: 10.1186/s13007-023-01124-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to evaluate and characterize the mutations induced by two TALE-based approaches, double-strand break (DSB) induction by the FokI nuclease (mitoTALEN) and targeted base editing by the DddA cytidine deaminase (mitoTALECD), to edit, for the first time, the mitochondrial genome of potato, a vegetatively propagated crop. The two methods were used to knock out the same mitochondrial target sequence (orf125). RESULTS Targeted chondriome deletions of different sizes (236-1066 bp) were induced by mitoTALEN due to DSB repair through ectopic homologous recombination of short direct repeats (11-12 bp) present in the target region. Furthermore, in one case, the induced DSB and subsequent repair resulted in the amplification of an already present substoichiometric molecule showing a 4288 bp deletion spanning the target sequence. With the mitoTALECD approach, both nonsense and missense mutations could be induced by base substitution. The deletions and single nucleotide mutations were either homoplasmic or heteroplasmic. The former were stably inherited in vegetative offspring. CONCLUSIONS Both editing approaches allowed us to obtain plants with precisely modified mitochondrial genomes at high frequency. The use of the same plant genotype and mtDNA region allowed us to compare the two methods for efficiency, accuracy, type of modifications induced and stability after vegetative propagation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Nicolia
- CREA, Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, via Cavalleggeri 25, 84098, Pontecagnano, SA, Italy
| | - Nunzia Scotti
- CNR-IBBR, Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy
| | - Nunzio D'Agostino
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Giovanna Festa
- CREA, Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, via Cavalleggeri 25, 84098, Pontecagnano, SA, Italy
| | - Lorenza Sannino
- CNR-IBBR, Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy
| | - Gaetano Aufiero
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055, Portici, Italy
| | - Shin-Ichi Arimura
- Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Teodoro Cardi
- CREA, Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops, via Cavalleggeri 25, 84098, Pontecagnano, SA, Italy.
- CNR-IBBR, Institute of Biosciences and BioResources, 80055, Portici, NA, Italy.
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22
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Woodruff R, Parekh F, Lamb K, Mekkaoui L, Allen C, Smetanova K, Huang J, Williams A, Toledo GS, Lilova K, Roddie C, Sillibourne J, Pule M. Large-scale manufacturing of base-edited chimeric antigen receptor T cells. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 31:101123. [PMID: 37886606 PMCID: PMC10597784 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.101123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Base editing is a revolutionary gene-editing technique enabling the introduction of point mutations into the genome without generating detrimental DNA double-stranded breaks. Base-editing enzymes are commonly delivered in the form of modified linear messenger RNA (mRNA) that is costly to produce. Here, we address this problem by developing a simple protocol for manufacturing base-edited cells using circular RNA (circRNA), which is less expensive to synthesize. Compared with linear mRNA, higher editing efficiencies were achieved with circRNA, enabling an 8-fold reduction in the amount of RNA required. We used this protocol to manufacture a clinical dose (1 × 108 cells) of base-edited chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells lacking expression of the inhibitory receptor, PD-1. Editing efficiencies of up to 86% were obtained using 0.25 μg circRNA/1 × 106 cells. Increased editing efficiencies with circRNA were attributed to more efficient translation. These results suggest that circRNA, which is less expensive to produce than linear mRNA, is a viable option for reducing the cost of manufacturing base-edited cells at scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosie Woodruff
- Autolus Therapeutics, The Mediaworks, 191 Wood Lane, W12 7FP London, UK
| | - Farhaan Parekh
- Autolus Therapeutics, The Mediaworks, 191 Wood Lane, W12 7FP London, UK
| | - Katarina Lamb
- Autolus Therapeutics, The Mediaworks, 191 Wood Lane, W12 7FP London, UK
| | - Leila Mekkaoui
- Autolus Therapeutics, The Mediaworks, 191 Wood Lane, W12 7FP London, UK
| | - Christopher Allen
- Autolus Therapeutics, The Mediaworks, 191 Wood Lane, W12 7FP London, UK
| | | | - Jasmine Huang
- Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, SW7 2AZ London, UK
| | - Alex Williams
- Autolus Therapeutics, The Mediaworks, 191 Wood Lane, W12 7FP London, UK
| | | | - Koki Lilova
- Autolus Therapeutics, The Mediaworks, 191 Wood Lane, W12 7FP London, UK
| | - Claire Roddie
- Deparment of Haematology, Cancer Institute, 72 Huntley Street, WC1E 6BT London, UK
| | - James Sillibourne
- Autolus Therapeutics, The Mediaworks, 191 Wood Lane, W12 7FP London, UK
| | - Martin Pule
- Autolus Therapeutics, The Mediaworks, 191 Wood Lane, W12 7FP London, UK
- Deparment of Haematology, Cancer Institute, 72 Huntley Street, WC1E 6BT London, UK
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23
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Zhang M, Zhu Z, Xun G, Zhao H. To Cut or not to Cut: Next-generation Genome Editors for Precision Genome Engineering. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2023; 28:100489. [PMID: 37593347 PMCID: PMC10430874 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2023.100489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Since the original report of repurposing the CRISPR/Cas9 system for genome engineering, the past decade has witnessed profound improvement in our ability to efficiently manipulate the mammalian genome. However, significant challenges lie ahead that hinder the translation of CRISPR-based gene editing technologies into safe and effective therapeutics. The CRISPR systems often have a limited target scope due to PAM restrictions, and the off-target activity also poses serious risks for therapeutic applications. Moreover, the first-generation genome editors typically achieve desired genomic modifications by inducing double-strand breaks (DSBs) at target site(s). Despite being highly efficient, this "cut and fix" strategy is less favorable in clinical settings due to drawbacks associated with the nuclease-induced DSBs. In this review, we focus on recent advances that help address these challenges, including the engineering and discovery of novel CRISPR/Cas systems with improved functionalities and the development of DSB-free genome editors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Zhixin Zhu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Guanhua Xun
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Huimin Zhao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
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24
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Yuan B, Zhang S, Song L, Chen J, Cao J, Qiu J, Qiu Z, Chen J, Zhao XM, Cheng TL. Engineering of cytosine base editors with DNA damage minimization and editing scope diversification. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e105. [PMID: 37843111 PMCID: PMC10639057 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytosine base editors (CBEs), which enable precise C-to-T substitutions, have been restricted by potential safety risks, including DNA off-target edits, RNA off-target edits and additional genotoxicity such as DNA damages induced by double-strand breaks (DSBs). Though DNA and RNA off-target edits have been ameliorated via various strategies, evaluation and minimization of DSB-associated DNA damage risks for most CBEs remain to be resolved. Here we demonstrate that YE1, an engineered CBE variant with minimized DNA and RNA off-target edits, could induce prominent DSB-associated DNA damage risks, manifested as γH2AX accumulation in human cells. We then perform deaminase engineering for two deaminases lamprey LjCDA1 and human APOBEC3A, and generate divergent CBE variants with eliminated DSB-associated DNA damage risks, in addition to minimized DNA/RNA off-target edits. Furthermore, the editing scopes and sequence preferences of APOBEC3A-derived CBEs could be further diversified by internal fusion strategy. Taken together, this study provides updated evaluation platform for DSB-associated DNA damage risks of CBEs and further generates a series of safer toolkits with diversified editing signatures to expand their applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yuan
- Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Shuqian Zhang
- Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Department of Pediatrics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Ji’nan 250012, China
| | - Liting Song
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
| | - Jinlong Chen
- Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Jixin Cao
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jiayi Qiu
- Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Zilong Qiu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China
- Songjiang Hospital, Songjiang Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingqi Chen
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xing-Ming Zhao
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-inspired Intelligence, Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tian-Lin Cheng
- Institute of Pediatrics, National Children's Medical Center, Children's Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
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25
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Tyumentseva M, Tyumentsev A, Akimkin V. CRISPR/Cas9 Landscape: Current State and Future Perspectives. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16077. [PMID: 38003266 PMCID: PMC10671331 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 is a unique genome editing tool that can be easily used in a wide range of applications, including functional genomics, transcriptomics, epigenetics, biotechnology, plant engineering, livestock breeding, gene therapy, diagnostics, and so on. This review is focused on the current CRISPR/Cas9 landscape, e.g., on Cas9 variants with improved properties, on Cas9-derived and fusion proteins, on Cas9 delivery methods, on pre-existing immunity against CRISPR/Cas9 proteins, anti-CRISPR proteins, and their possible roles in CRISPR/Cas9 function improvement. Moreover, this review presents a detailed outline of CRISPR/Cas9-based diagnostics and therapeutic approaches. Finally, the review addresses the future expansion of genome editors' toolbox with Cas9 orthologs and other CRISPR/Cas proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Tyumentseva
- Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Novogireevskaya Str., 3a, 111123 Moscow, Russia; (A.T.); (V.A.)
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26
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Rabaan AA, Al Fares MA, Almaghaslah M, Alpakistany T, Al Kaabi NA, Alshamrani SA, Alshehri AA, Almazni IA, Saif A, Hakami AR, Khamis F, Alfaresi M, Alsalem Z, Alsoliabi ZA, Al Amri KAS, Hassoueh AK, Mohapatra RK, Arteaga-Livias K, Alissa M. Application of CRISPR-Cas System to Mitigate Superbug Infections. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2404. [PMID: 37894063 PMCID: PMC10609045 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Multidrug resistance in bacterial strains known as superbugs is estimated to cause fatal infections worldwide. Migration and urbanization have resulted in overcrowding and inadequate sanitation, contributing to a high risk of superbug infections within and between different communities. The CRISPR-Cas system, mainly type II, has been projected as a robust tool to precisely edit drug-resistant bacterial genomes to combat antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains effectively. To entirely opt for its potential, advanced development in the CRISPR-Cas system is needed to reduce toxicity and promote efficacy in gene-editing applications. This might involve base-editing techniques used to produce point mutations. These methods employ designed Cas9 variations, such as the adenine base editor (ABE) and the cytidine base editor (CBE), to directly edit single base pairs without causing DSBs. The CBE and ABE could change a target base pair into a different one (for example, G-C to A-T or C-G to A-T). In this review, we addressed the limitations of the CRISPR/Cas system and explored strategies for circumventing these limitations by applying diverse base-editing techniques. Furthermore, we also discussed recent research showcasing the ability of base editors to eliminate drug-resistant microbes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali A Rabaan
- Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory, Johns Hopkins Aramco Healthcare, Dhahran 31311, Saudi Arabia
- College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh 11533, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Public Health and Nutrition, The University of Haripur, Haripur 22610, Pakistan
| | - Mona A Al Fares
- Department of Internal Medicine, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Manar Almaghaslah
- Infectious Disease Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Dammam Medical Complex, Dammam 32245, Saudi Arabia
| | - Tariq Alpakistany
- Bacteriology Department, Public Health Laboratory, Taif 26521, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nawal A Al Kaabi
- College of Medicine and Health Science, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
- Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), Abu Dhabi 51900, United Arab Emirates
| | - Saleh A Alshamrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran 61441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad A Alshehri
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran 61441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ibrahim Abdullah Almazni
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Najran University, Najran 61441, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Saif
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 62223, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulrahim R Hakami
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha 62223, Saudi Arabia
| | - Faryal Khamis
- Infection Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Royal Hospital, Muscat 1331, Oman
| | - Mubarak Alfaresi
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Zayed Military Hospital, Abu Dhabi 3740, United Arab Emirates
- Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai 505055, United Arab Emirates
| | - Zainab Alsalem
- Department of Epidemic Diseases Research, Institute for Research and Medical Consultations (IRMC), Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam 31441, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Amal K Hassoueh
- Pharmacy Department, King Saud Medical City, Riyadh 7790, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ranjan K Mohapatra
- Department of Chemistry, Government College of Engineering, Keonjhar 758002, India
| | - Kovy Arteaga-Livias
- Escuela de Medicina-Filial Ica, Universidad Privada San Juan Bautista, Ica 11000, Peru
- Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizán, Huanuco 10000, Peru
| | - Mohammed Alissa
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj 11942, Saudi Arabia
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27
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Zeng H, Yuan Q, Peng F, Ma D, Lingineni A, Chee K, Gilberd P, Osikpa EC, Sun Z, Gao X. A split and inducible adenine base editor for precise in vivo base editing. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5573. [PMID: 37696818 PMCID: PMC10495389 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41331-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA base editors use deaminases fused to a programmable DNA-binding protein for targeted nucleotide conversion. However, the most widely used TadA deaminases lack post-translational control in living cells. Here, we present a split adenine base editor (sABE) that utilizes chemically induced dimerization (CID) to control the catalytic activity of the deoxyadenosine deaminase TadA-8e. sABE shows high on-target editing activity comparable to the original ABE with TadA-8e (ABE8e) upon rapamycin induction while maintaining low background activity without induction. Importantly, sABE exhibits a narrower activity window on DNA and higher precision than ABE8e, with an improved single-to-double ratio of adenine editing and reduced genomic and transcriptomic off-target effects. sABE can achieve gene knockout through multiplex splice donor disruption in human cells. Furthermore, when delivered via dual adeno-associated virus vectors, sABE can efficiently convert a single A•T base pair to a G•C base pair on the PCSK9 gene in mouse liver, demonstrating in vivo CID-controlled DNA base editing. Thus, sABE enables precise control of base editing, which will have broad implications for basic research and in vivo therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongzhi Zeng
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Qichen Yuan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Fei Peng
- Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dacheng Ma
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Ananya Lingineni
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Kelly Chee
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Peretz Gilberd
- Department of Biosciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Emmanuel C Osikpa
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Zheng Sun
- Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
| | - Xue Gao
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
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28
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Sretenovic S, Green Y, Wu Y, Cheng Y, Zhang T, Van Eck J, Qi Y. Genome- and transcriptome-wide off-target analyses of a high-efficiency adenine base editor in tomato. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 193:291-303. [PMID: 37315207 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Adenine base editors (ABEs) are valuable, precise genome editing tools in plants. In recent years, the highly promising ADENINE BASE EDITOR8e (ABE8e) was reported for efficient A-to-G editing. However, compared to monocots, comprehensive off-target analyses for ABE8e are lacking in dicots. To determine the occurrence of off-target effects in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), we assessed ABE8e and a high-fidelity version, ABE8e-HF, at 2 independent target sites in protoplasts, as well as stable T0 lines. Since ABE8e demonstrated higher on-target efficiency than ABE8e-HF in tomato protoplasts, we focused on ABE8e for off-target analyses in T0 lines. We conducted whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of wild-type (WT) tomato plants, green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing T0 lines, ABE8e-no-gRNA control T0 lines, and edited T0 lines. No guide RNA (gRNA)-dependent off-target edits were detected. Our data showed an average of approximately 1,200 to 1,500 single-nucleotide variations (SNVs) in either GFP control plants or base-edited plants. Also, no specific enrichment of A-to-G mutations were found in base-edited plants. We also conducted RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of the same 6 base-edited and 3 GFP control T0 plants. On average, approximately 150 RNA-level SNVs were discovered per plant for either base-edited or GFP controls. Furthermore, we did not find enrichment of a TA motif on mutated adenine in the genomes and transcriptomes in base-edited tomato plants, as opposed to the recent discovery in rice (Oryza sativa). Hence, we could not find evidence for genome- and transcriptome-wide off-target effects by ABE8e in tomato.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Sretenovic
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Yumi Green
- The Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Yuechao Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yanhao Cheng
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| | - Tao Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education, College of Agriculture, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Joyce Van Eck
- The Boyce Thompson Institute, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Plant Breeding and Genetics Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Yiping Qi
- Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
- Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
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29
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Zhang Z, Bao X, Lin CP. Progress and Prospects of Gene Editing in Pluripotent Stem Cells. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2168. [PMID: 37626665 PMCID: PMC10452926 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11082168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Applying programmable nucleases in gene editing has greatly shaped current research in basic biology and clinical translation. Gene editing in human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), including embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), is highly relevant to clinical cell therapy and thus should be examined with particular caution. First, since all mutations in PSCs will be carried to all their progenies, off-target edits of editors will be amplified. Second, due to the hypersensitivity of PSCs to DNA damage, double-strand breaks (DSBs) made by gene editing could lead to low editing efficiency and the enrichment of cell populations with defective genomic safeguards. In this regard, DSB-independent gene editing tools, such as base editors and prime editors, are favored due to their nature to avoid these consequences. With more understanding of the microbial world, new systems, such as Cas-related nucleases, transposons, and recombinases, are also expanding the toolbox for gene editing. In this review, we discuss current applications of programmable nucleases in PSCs for gene editing, the efforts researchers have made to optimize these systems, as well as new tools that can be potentially employed for differentiation modeling and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chao-Po Lin
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (Z.Z.); (X.B.)
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30
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Gao Z, Jiang W, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Yi M, Wang H, Ma Z, Qu B, Ji X, Long H, Zhang S. Amphioxus adenosine-to-inosine tRNA-editing enzyme that can perform C-to-U and A-to-I deamination of DNA. Commun Biol 2023; 6:744. [PMID: 37464027 PMCID: PMC10354150 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05134-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Adenosine-to-inosine tRNA-editing enzyme has been identified for more than two decades, but the study on its DNA editing activity is rather scarce. We show that amphioxus (Branchiostoma japonicum) ADAT2 (BjADAT2) contains the active site 'HxE-PCxxC' and the key residues for target-base-binding, and amphioxus ADAT3 (BjADAT3) harbors both the N-terminal positively charged region and the C-terminal pseudo-catalytic domain important for recognition of substrates. The sequencing of BjADAT2-transformed Escherichia coli genome suggests that BjADAT2 has the potential to target E. coli DNA and can deaminate at TCG and GAA sites in the E. coli genome. Biochemical analyses further demonstrate that BjADAT2, in complex with BjADAT3, can perform A-to-I editing of tRNA and convert C-to-U and A-to-I deamination of DNA. We also show that BjADAT2 preferentially deaminates adenosines and cytidines in the loop of DNA hairpin structures of substrates, and BjADAT3 also affects the type of DNA substrate targeted by BjADAT2. Finally, we find that C89, N113, C148 and Y156 play critical roles in the DNA editing activity of BjADAT2. Collectively, our study indicates that BjADAT2/3 is the sole naturally occurring deaminase with both tRNA and DNA editing capacity identified so far in Metazoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhan Gao
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China.
| | - Wanyue Jiang
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, KLMME, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China
| | - Mengmeng Yi
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China
| | - Haitao Wang
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China
| | - Zengyu Ma
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China
| | - Baozhen Qu
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaohan Ji
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China
| | - Hongan Long
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, KLMME, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Laoshan Laboratory, 266237, Qingdao, China
| | - Shicui Zhang
- Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity and Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, 266003, Qingdao, China.
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Laoshan Laboratory, 266237, Qingdao, China.
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Lue NZ, Liau BB. Base editor screens for in situ mutational scanning at scale. Mol Cell 2023:S1097-2765(23)00431-8. [PMID: 37390819 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2023.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental challenge in biology is understanding the molecular details of protein function. How mutations alter protein activity, regulation, and response to drugs is of critical importance to human health. Recent years have seen the emergence of pooled base editor screens for in situ mutational scanning: the interrogation of protein sequence-function relationships by directly perturbing endogenous proteins in live cells. These studies have revealed the effects of disease-associated mutations, discovered novel drug resistance mechanisms, and generated biochemical insights into protein function. Here, we discuss how this "base editor scanning" approach has been applied to diverse biological questions, compare it with alternative techniques, and describe the emerging challenges that must be addressed to maximize its utility. Given its broad applicability toward profiling mutations across the proteome, base editor scanning promises to revolutionize the investigation of proteins in their native contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Z Lue
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brian B Liau
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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32
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Seo D, Koh B, Eom GE, Kim HW, Kim S. A dual gene-specific mutator system installs all transition mutations at similar frequencies in vivo. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:e59. [PMID: 37070179 PMCID: PMC10250238 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Targeted in vivo hypermutation accelerates directed evolution of proteins through concurrent DNA diversification and selection. Although systems employing a fusion protein of a nucleobase deaminase and T7 RNA polymerase present gene-specific targeting, their mutational spectra have been limited to exclusive or dominant C:G→T:A mutations. Here we describe eMutaT7transition, a new gene-specific hypermutation system, that installs all transition mutations (C:G→T:A and A:T→G:C) at comparable frequencies. By using two mutator proteins in which two efficient deaminases, PmCDA1 and TadA-8e, are separately fused to T7 RNA polymerase, we obtained similar numbers of C:G→T:A and A:T→G:C substitutions at a sufficiently high frequency (∼6.7 substitutions in 1.3 kb gene during 80-h in vivo mutagenesis). Through eMutaT7transition-mediated TEM-1 evolution for antibiotic resistance, we generated many mutations found in clinical isolates. Overall, with a high mutation frequency and wider mutational spectrum, eMutaT7transition is a potential first-line method for gene-specific in vivo hypermutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daeje Seo
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Bonghyun Koh
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Ga-eul Eom
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Won Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Seokhee Kim
- Department of Chemistry, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 08826, Republic of Korea
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33
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Liang Y, Chen F, Wang K, Lai L. Base editors: development and applications in biomedicine. Front Med 2023; 17:359-387. [PMID: 37434066 DOI: 10.1007/s11684-023-1013-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Base editor (BE) is a gene-editing tool developed by combining the CRISPR/Cas system with an individual deaminase, enabling precise single-base substitution in DNA or RNA without generating a DNA double-strand break (DSB) or requiring donor DNA templates in living cells. Base editors offer more precise and secure genome-editing effects than other conventional artificial nuclease systems, such as CRISPR/Cas9, as the DSB induced by Cas9 will cause severe damage to the genome. Thus, base editors have important applications in the field of biomedicine, including gene function investigation, directed protein evolution, genetic lineage tracing, disease modeling, and gene therapy. Since the development of the two main base editors, cytosine base editors (CBEs) and adenine base editors (ABEs), scientists have developed more than 100 optimized base editors with improved editing efficiency, precision, specificity, targeting scope, and capacity to be delivered in vivo, greatly enhancing their application potential in biomedicine. Here, we review the recent development of base editors, summarize their applications in the biomedical field, and discuss future perspectives and challenges for therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhui Liang
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory on Biomedicine and Health, CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Research Unit of Generation of Large Animal Disease Models, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU015), Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Sanya Institute of Swine Resource, Hainan Provincial Research Centre of Laboratory Animals, Sanya, 572000, China
| | - Fangbing Chen
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory on Biomedicine and Health, CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Research Unit of Generation of Large Animal Disease Models, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU015), Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Sanya Institute of Swine Resource, Hainan Provincial Research Centre of Laboratory Animals, Sanya, 572000, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529020, China
| | - Kepin Wang
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory on Biomedicine and Health, CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Research Unit of Generation of Large Animal Disease Models, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU015), Guangzhou, 510530, China
- Sanya Institute of Swine Resource, Hainan Provincial Research Centre of Laboratory Animals, Sanya, 572000, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529020, China
| | - Liangxue Lai
- China-New Zealand Joint Laboratory on Biomedicine and Health, CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science and Innovation, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- Research Unit of Generation of Large Animal Disease Models, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU015), Guangzhou, 510530, China.
- Sanya Institute of Swine Resource, Hainan Provincial Research Centre of Laboratory Animals, Sanya, 572000, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Large Animal Models for Biomedicine, Wuyi University, Jiangmen, 529020, China.
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34
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Fong JHC, Chu HY, Zhou P, Wong ASL. Parallel engineering and activity profiling of a base editor system. Cell Syst 2023; 14:392-403.e4. [PMID: 37164010 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Selecting the most suitable existing base editors and engineering new variants for installing specific base conversions with maximal efficiency and minimal undesired edits are pivotal for precise genome editing applications. Here, we present a platform for creating and analyzing a library of engineered base editor variants to enable head-to-head evaluation of their editing performance at scale. Our comprehensive comparison provides quantitative measures on each variant's editing efficiency, purity, motif preference, and bias in generating single and multiple base conversions, while uncovering undesired higher indel generation rate and noncanonical base conversion for some of the existing base editors. In addition to engineering the base editor protein, we further applied this platform to investigate a hitherto underexplored engineering route and created guide RNA scaffold variants that augment the editor's base-editing activity. With the unknown performance and compatibility of the growing number of engineered parts including deaminase, CRISPR-Cas enzyme, and guide RNA scaffold variants for assembling the expanding collection of base editor systems, our platform addresses the unmet need for an unbiased, scalable method to benchmark their editing outcomes and accelerate the engineering of next-generation precise genome editors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John H C Fong
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hoi Yee Chu
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Peng Zhou
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Alan S L Wong
- Laboratory of Combinatorial Genetics and Synthetic Biology, School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China; Centre for Oncology and Immunology, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong SAR, China; Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
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35
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Abstract
With the advent of recombinant DNA technology in the 1970s, the idea of using gene therapies to treat human genetic diseases captured the interest and imagination of scientists around the world. Years later, enabled largely by the development of CRISPR-based genome editing tools, the field has exploded, with academic labs, startup biotechnology companies, and large pharmaceutical corporations working in concert to develop life-changing therapeutics. In this Essay, we highlight base editing technologies and their development from bench to bedside. Base editing, first reported in 2016, is capable of installing C•G to T•A and A•T to G•C point mutations, while largely circumventing some of the pitfalls of traditional CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Despite their youth, these technologies have been widely used by both academic labs and therapeutics-based companies. Here, we provide an overview of the mechanics of base editing and its use in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M. Porto
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Alexis C. Komor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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