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Apostolopoulos A, Kawamoto N, Chow SYA, Tsuiji H, Ikeuchi Y, Shichino Y, Iwasaki S. dCas13-mediated translational repression for accurate gene silencing in mammalian cells. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2205. [PMID: 38467613 PMCID: PMC10928199 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46412-7] [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: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Current gene silencing tools based on RNA interference (RNAi) or, more recently, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)‒Cas13 systems have critical drawbacks, such as off-target effects (RNAi) or collateral mRNA cleavage (CRISPR‒Cas13). Thus, a more specific method of gene knockdown is needed. Here, we develop CRISPRδ, an approach for translational silencing, harnessing catalytically inactive Cas13 proteins (dCas13). Owing to its tight association with mRNA, dCas13 serves as a physical roadblock for scanning ribosomes during translation initiation and does not affect mRNA stability. Guide RNAs covering the start codon lead to the highest efficacy regardless of the translation initiation mechanism: cap-dependent, internal ribosome entry site (IRES)-dependent, or repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN) translation. Strikingly, genome-wide ribosome profiling reveals the ultrahigh gene silencing specificity of CRISPRδ. Moreover, the fusion of a translational repressor to dCas13 further improves the performance. Our method provides a framework for translational repression-based gene silencing in eukaryotes.
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Grants
- JP20H05784 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
- JP21H05278 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
- JP21H05734 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
- JP23H04268 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
- JP20H05786 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
- JP23H02415 MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
- JP20K07016 MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
- JP23K05648 MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
- JP21K15023 MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
- JP23KJ2175 MEXT | Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
- JP20gm1410001 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
- JP20gm1410001 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
- JP23gm6910005h0001 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
- JP23gm6910005 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
- JP20gm1410001 Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
- Pioneering Projects MEXT | RIKEN
- Pioneering Projects MEXT | RIKEN
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems (ExCELLS), 23EX601
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonios Apostolopoulos
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan
- RNA Systems Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Naohiro Kawamoto
- RNA Systems Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Siu Yu A Chow
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
| | - Hitomi Tsuiji
- Education and Research Division of Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Aichi Gakuin University, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8650, Japan
| | - Yoshiho Ikeuchi
- Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuichi Shichino
- RNA Systems Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
| | - Shintaro Iwasaki
- Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8561, Japan.
- RNA Systems Biochemistry Laboratory, RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
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2
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Dong Y, Zhang B, Wei Y, Murashev A, Wang S, Wu Y, Ma W, Liu T. Development of Cas13a-based therapy for cancer treatment. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:94. [PMID: 38194206 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-09129-2] [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: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024]
Abstract
Gene therapy has become a major focus of current biomedical research. CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Inter spaced Short Palindromic Repeats) systems have been extensively researched for disease treatment applications through genome editing specificity. Compared with Cas9 (CRISPR-associated proteins, Cas), a commonly used tool enzyme for genome editing, Cas13a exhibits RNA-dependent endonuclease activity, including collateral cleavage without obvious potential genetic risks. With its high specificity, Cas13a has significantly improved the sensitivity of viral diagnosis and shown potential to eliminate viruses. However, its efficacy in tumor therapy has not been determined. This review introduces the mechanism and research developments associated with the CRISPR-Cas13a system in tumor treatments and its potential to be used as a new tool for gene therapy. We hope more research would apply Cas13a-based therapy in cancer treatment in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Dong
- Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, 1023 Shatai Rd, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Bingyang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, 1023 Shatai Rd, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yi Wei
- Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, 1023 Shatai Rd, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Arkady Murashev
- Biological Testing Center of Shamyakin and Ovchimnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow, 142290, Russian Federation
| | - Suihai Wang
- Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, 1023 Shatai Rd, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yingsong Wu
- Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, 1023 Shatai Rd, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Weifeng Ma
- Department of Microbiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, 1023 Shatai Rd, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
| | - Tiancai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Antibody Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, School of Laboratory Medicine and Biotechnology, Southern Medical University, 1023 Shatai Rd, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
- Provincial Key Laboratory of Immune Regulation and Immunotherapy, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
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3
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Mishra G, Srivastava K, Rais J, Dixit M, Kumari Singh V, Chandra Mishra L. CRISPR-Cas9: A Potent Gene-editing Tool for the Treatment of Cancer. Curr Mol Med 2024; 24:191-204. [PMID: 36788695 DOI: 10.2174/1566524023666230213094308] [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: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The prokaryotic adaptive immune system has clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat. CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR-Cas) genome editing systems have been harnessed. A robust programmed technique for efficient and accurate genome editing and gene targeting has been developed. Engineered cell therapy, in vivo gene therapy, animal modeling, and cancer diagnosis and treatment are all possible applications of this ground-breaking approach. Multiple genetic and epigenetic changes in cancer cells induce malignant cell growth and provide chemoresistance. The capacity to repair or ablate such mutations has enormous potential in the fight against cancer. The CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing method has recently become popular in cancer treatment research due to its excellent efficiency and accuracy. The preceding study has shown therapeutic potential in expanding our anticancer treatments by using CRISPR-Cas9 to directly target cancer cell genomic DNA in cellular and animal cancer models. In addition, CRISPR-Cas9 can combat oncogenic infections and test anticancer medicines. It may design immune cells and oncolytic viruses for cancer immunotherapeutic applications. In this review, these preclinical CRISPRCas9- based cancer therapeutic techniques are summarised, along with the hurdles and advancements in converting therapeutic CRISPR-Cas9 into clinical use. It will increase their applicability in cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauri Mishra
- Department of Zoology, Swami Shraddhanand College, University of Delhi-110036, Delhi, India
- Division Radiopharmaceuticals and Radiation Biology, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences, Brig SK Mazumdar Road, Delhi-110054, India
| | - Kamakshi Srivastava
- Department of Zoology, Swami Shraddhanand College, University of Delhi-110036, Delhi, India
| | - Juhi Rais
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow-226014, India
| | - Manish Dixit
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow-226014, India
| | - Vandana Kumari Singh
- Department of Zoology, Hansraj College, University of Delhi- 110007, Dehli, India
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4
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Chira S, Nutu A, Isacescu E, Bica C, Pop L, Ciocan C, Berindan-Neagoe I. Genome Editing Approaches with CRISPR/Cas9 for Cancer Treatment: Critical Appraisal of Preclinical and Clinical Utility, Challenges, and Future Research. Cells 2022; 11:cells11182781. [PMID: 36139356 PMCID: PMC9496708 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing burden on human malignant diseases became a major concern for healthcare practitioners, that must deal with tumor relapse and the inability to efficiently treat metastasis, in addition to side effects. Throughout the decades, many therapeutic strategies have been employed to improve the clinical outcomes of cancer patients and great efforts have been made to develop more efficient and targeted medicines. The malignant cell is characterized by genetic and epigenetic modifications, therefore targeting those specific drivers of carcinogenesis is highly desirable. Among the genome editing technologies, CRISPR/Cas9 stood as a promising candidate for cancer treatment alternatives, due to its low complexity design. First described as a defense mechanism of bacteria against invading foreign DNA, later it was shown that CRISPR components can be engineered to target specific DNA sequences in a test tube, a discovery that was awarded later with the Nobel Prize in chemistry for its rapid expansion as a reliable genome editing tool in many fields of research, including medicine. The present paper aims of describing CRISPR/Cas9 potential targets for malignant disorders, and the approaches used for achieving this goal. Aside from preclinical studies, we also present the clinical trials that use CRISPR-based technology for therapeutic purposes of cancer. Finally, a summary of the presented studies adds a more focused view of the therapeutic value CRISPR/Cas9 holds and the associated shortcomings.
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5
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Kelley CP, Haerle MC, Wang ET. Negative autoregulation mitigates collateral RNase activity of repeat-targeting CRISPR-Cas13d in mammalian cells. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111226. [PMID: 35977479 PMCID: PMC9809062 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas13 RNA endonucleases show promise for programmable RNA knockdown. However, sequence-specific binding of Cas13 unleashes non-specific bystander RNA cleavage, or collateral activity, raising concerns for experiments and therapeutic applications. Although robust in cell-free and bacterial environments, collateral activity in mammalian cells remains disputed. We investigate Cas13d collateral activity in a therapeutic context for myotonic dystrophy type 1, caused by a transcribed CTG repeat expansion. We find that, when targeting CUGn RNA in mammalian cells, Cas13d depletes endogenous and transgenic RNAs, interferes with critical cellular processes, and activates stress response and apoptosis. Collateral effects also occur when targeting abundant endogenous transcripts. To minimize collateral activity for repeat-targeting approaches, we introduce GENO, an adeno-associated virus-compatible strategy that leverages guide RNA processing to control Cas13d expression. We argue that thorough assessment of collateral activity is necessary when applying Cas13 in mammalian cells and that GENO illustrates advantages of compact regulatory systems for Cas-based gene therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chase P Kelley
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA; Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Maja C Haerle
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
| | - Eric T Wang
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Center for NeuroGenetics, Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA; Myology Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA.
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6
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Tang XZE, Tan SX, Hoon S, Yeo GW. Pre-existing adaptive immunity to the RNA-editing enzyme Cas13d in humans. Nat Med 2022; 28:1372-1376. [PMID: 35668177 PMCID: PMC9307479 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-01848-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
RNA-guided RNA-targeting nucleases, such as CRISPR–Cas13 proteins, have therapeutic potential for gene editing. Among Cas13d enzymes, Cas13d from the bacteria Ruminococcus flavefaciens (RfxCas13d) is of particular interest owing to its small size and high specificity. However, the existence of pre-existing immunity against RfxCas13d is unclear. In this study, we evaluated antibody and T cell responses to RfxCas13d in healthy donors using ELISA and T cell culture assays. We found RfxCas13d-reactive antibodies and CD4 and CD8 T cell responses in most donors, comparable to responses against Cas9 proteins from Staphylococcus aureus (SaCas9) and Streptococcus pyogenes (SpCas9). RfxCas13d-responding T cells could produce the inflammatory cytokines IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-17. These findings should be taken into consideration in the development of RfxCas13d for therapy. Healthy individuals have antibodies and T cells that are reactive to the Cas13d protein from the bovine bacteria Ruminococcus flavefaciens, which may have implications for clinical testing of CRISPR–Cas13 gene editing approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Zi Emily Tang
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Molecular Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shu Xuan Tan
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shawn Hoon
- Molecular Engineering Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gene W Yeo
- Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,Stem Cell Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA. .,Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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7
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Ashrafizadeh M, Zarrabi A, Karimi‐Maleh H, Taheriazam A, Mirzaei S, Hashemi M, Hushmandi K, Makvandi P, Nazarzadeh Zare E, Sharifi E, Goel A, Wang L, Ren J, Nuri Ertas Y, Kumar AP, Wang Y, Rabiee N, Sethi G, Ma Z. (Nano)platforms in bladder cancer therapy: Challenges and opportunities. Bioeng Transl Med 2022; 8:e10353. [PMID: 36684065 PMCID: PMC9842064 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Urological cancers are among the most common malignancies around the world. In particular, bladder cancer severely threatens human health due to its aggressive and heterogeneous nature. Various therapeutic modalities have been considered for the treatment of bladder cancer although its prognosis remains unfavorable. It is perceived that treatment of bladder cancer depends on an interdisciplinary approach combining biology and engineering. The nanotechnological approaches have been introduced in the treatment of various cancers, especially bladder cancer. The current review aims to emphasize and highlight possible applications of nanomedicine in eradication of bladder tumor. Nanoparticles can improve efficacy of drugs in bladder cancer therapy through elevating their bioavailability. The potential of genetic tools such as siRNA and miRNA in gene expression regulation can be boosted using nanostructures by facilitating their internalization and accumulation at tumor sites and cells. Nanoparticles can provide photodynamic and photothermal therapy for ROS overgeneration and hyperthermia, respectively, in the suppression of bladder cancer. Furthermore, remodeling of tumor microenvironment and infiltration of immune cells for the purpose of immunotherapy are achieved through cargo-loaded nanocarriers. Nanocarriers are mainly internalized in bladder tumor cells by endocytosis, and proper design of smart nanoparticles such as pH-, redox-, and light-responsive nanocarriers is of importance for targeted tumor therapy. Bladder cancer biomarkers can be detected using nanoparticles for timely diagnosis of patients. Based on their accumulation at the tumor site, they can be employed for tumor imaging. The clinical translation and challenges are also covered in current review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Ashrafizadeh
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural SciencesSabanci University, Orta MahalleIstanbulTurkey
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Natural SciencesIstinye UniversityIstanbulTurkey
| | - Hassan Karimi‐Maleh
- School of Resources and EnvironmentUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduPeople's Republic of China,Department of Chemical EngineeringQuchan University of TechnologyQuchanIran,Department of Chemical SciencesUniversity of JohannesburgJohannesburgSouth Africa
| | - Afshin Taheriazam
- Department of Orthopedics, Faculty of medicineTehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad UniversityTehranIran,Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research CenterFarhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad UniversityTehranIran
| | - Sepideh Mirzaei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of ScienceIslamic Azad University, Science and Research BranchTehranIran
| | - Mehrdad Hashemi
- Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research CenterFarhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad UniversityTehranIran
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of TehranTehranIran
| | - Pooyan Makvandi
- Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaCentre for Materials InterfacePontederaPisa56025Italy
| | | | - Esmaeel Sharifi
- Department of Tissue Engineering and Biomaterials, School of Advanced Medical Sciences and TechnologiesHamadan University of Medical SciencesHamadanIran
| | - Arul Goel
- La Canada High SchoolLa Cañada FlintridgeCaliforniaUSA
| | - Lingzhi Wang
- Cancer Science Institute of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Jun Ren
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and PathologyUniversity of WashingtonSeattleWashingtonUSA,Shanghai Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Department of CardiologyZhongshan Hospital, Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yavuz Nuri Ertas
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringErciyes UniversityKayseriTurkey,ERNAM—Nanotechnology Research and Application CenterErciyes UniversityKayseriTurkey
| | - Alan Prem Kumar
- Department of PharmacologyYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Yuzhuo Wang
- Department of Urologic Sciences and Vancouver Prostate CentreUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBritish ColumbiaCanada
| | - Navid Rabiee
- School of EngineeringMacquarie UniversitySydneyNew South Wales2109Australia,Department of Materials Science and EngineeringPohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH)PohangGyeongbuk37673South Korea
| | - Gautam Sethi
- Department of PharmacologyYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Zhaowu Ma
- Health Science CenterYangtze UniversityJingzhouHubeiChina
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8
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Gupta R, Ghosh A, Chakravarti R, Singh R, Ravichandiran V, Swarnakar S, Ghosh D. Cas13d: A New Molecular Scissor for Transcriptome Engineering. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:866800. [PMID: 35433685 PMCID: PMC9008242 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.866800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and its associated Cas endonucleases in bacterial and archaeal species allowed scientists to modify, utilized, and revolutionize this tool for genetic alterations in any species. Especially the type II CRISPR-Cas9 system has been extensively studied and utilized for precise and efficient DNA manipulation in plant and mammalian systems over the past few decades. Further, the discovery of the type V CRISPR-Cas12 (Cpf1) system provides more flexibility and precision in DNA manipulation in prokaryotes, plants, and animals. However, much effort has been made to employ and utilize the above CRISPR tools for RNA manipulation but the ability of Cas9 and Cas12 to cut DNA involves the nuisance of off-target effects on genes and thus may not be employed in all RNA-targeting applications. Therefore, the search for new and diverse Cas effectors which can precisely detect and manipulate the targeted RNA begins and this led to the discovery of a novel RNA targeting class 2, type VI CRISPR-Cas13 system. The CRISPR-Cas13 system consists of single RNA-guided Cas13 effector nucleases that solely target single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) in a programmable way without altering the DNA. The Cas13 effectors family comprises four subtypes (a-d) and each subtype has distinctive primary sequence divergence except the two consensuses Higher eukaryotes and prokaryotes nucleotide-binding domain (HEPN) that includes RNase motifs i.e. R-X4-6-H. These two HEPN domains are solely responsible for executing targetable RNA cleavage activity with high efficiency. Further, recent studies have shown that Cas13d exhibits higher efficiency and specificity in cleaving targeted RNA in the mammalian system compared to other Cas13 endonucleases of the Cas13 enzyme family. In addition to that, Cas13d has shown additional advantages over other Cas13 variants, structurally as well as functionally which makes it a prominent and superlative tool for RNA engineering and editing. Therefore considering the advantages of Cas13d over previously characterized Cas13 subtypes, in this review, we encompass the structural and mechanistic properties of type VI CRISPR-Cas13d systems, an overview of the current reported various applications of Cas13d, and the prospects to improve Cas13d based tools for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Gupta
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
| | - Arijit Ghosh
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
| | - Rudra Chakravarti
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
| | - Rajveer Singh
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
| | - Velayutham Ravichandiran
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
- *Correspondence: Dipanjan Ghosh, ; Snehasikta Swarnakar, ; Velayutham Ravichandiran,
| | - Snehasikta Swarnakar
- Infectious Diseases and Immunology Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkata, India
- *Correspondence: Dipanjan Ghosh, ; Snehasikta Swarnakar, ; Velayutham Ravichandiran,
| | - Dipanjan Ghosh
- National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research, Kolkata, India
- *Correspondence: Dipanjan Ghosh, ; Snehasikta Swarnakar, ; Velayutham Ravichandiran,
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9
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CRISPR/Cas: A New Tool in the Research of Telomeres and Telomerase as Well as a Novel Form of Cancer Therapy. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063002. [PMID: 35328421 PMCID: PMC8953708 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to their close connection with senescence, aging, and disease, telomeres and telomerase provide a unique and vital research route for boosting longevity and health span. Despite significant advances during the last three decades, earlier studies into these two biological players were impeded by the difficulty of achieving real-time changes inside living cells. As a result of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated system’s (Cas) method, targeted genetic studies are now underway to change telomerase, the genes that govern it as well as telomeres. This review will discuss studies that have utilized CRISPR-related technologies to target and modify genes relevant to telomeres and telomerase as well as to develop targeted anti-cancer therapies. These studies greatly improve our knowledge and understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie cancer development and aging.
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10
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Mirzaei S, Paskeh MDA, Hashemi F, Zabolian A, Hashemi M, Entezari M, Tabari T, Ashrafizadeh M, Raee P, Aghamiri S, Aref AR, Leong HC, Kumar AP, Samarghandian S, Zarrabi A, Hushmandi K. Long non-coding RNAs as new players in bladder cancer: Lessons from pre-clinical and clinical studies. Life Sci 2021; 288:119948. [PMID: 34520771 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2021.119948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The clinical management of bladder cancer (BC) has become an increasing challenge due to high incidence rate of BC, malignant behavior of cancer cells and drug resistance. The non-coding RNAs are considered as key factors involved in BC progression. The long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are RNA molecules and do not encode proteins. They have more than 200 nucleotides in length and affect gene expression at epigenetic, transcriptional and post-transcriptional phases. The lncRNAs demonstrate abnormal expression in BC cells and tissues. The present aims to identifying lncRNAs with tumor-suppressor and tumor-promoting roles, and evaluating their roles as regulatory of growth and migration. Apoptosis, glycolysis and EMT are tightly regulated by lncRNAs in BC. Response of BC cells to cisplatin, doxorubicin and gemcitabine chemotherapy is modulated by lncRNAs. LncRNAs regulate immune cell infiltration in tumor microenvironment and affect response of BC cells to immunotherapy. Besides, lncRNAs are able to regulate microRNAs, STAT3, Wnt, PTEN and PI3K/Akt pathways in affecting both proliferation and migration of BC cells. Noteworthy, anti-tumor compounds and genetic tools such as siRNA, shRNA and CRISPR/Cas systems can regulate lncRNA expression in BC. Finally, lncRNAs and exosomal lncRNAs can be considered as potential diagnostic and prognostic tools in BC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Mirzaei
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahshid Deldar Abad Paskeh
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farid Hashemi
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amirhossein Zabolian
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Hashemi
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maliheh Entezari
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Advanced Science and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran; Farhikhtegan Medical Convergence Sciences Research Center, Farhikhtegan Hospital Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Teimour Tabari
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Milad Ashrafizadeh
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Orta Mahalle, Üniversite Caddesi No. 27, Orhanlı, Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Turkey; Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Pourya Raee
- Department of Biology and Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Shahin Aghamiri
- Student Research Committee, Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Reza Aref
- Belfer Center for Applied Cancer Science, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Xsphera Biosciences Inc., 6 Tide Street, Boston, MA 02210, USA
| | - Hin Chong Leong
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore; NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Alan Prem Kumar
- Cancer Science Institute of Singapore, Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117599, Singapore; NUS Centre for Cancer Research (N2CR), Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore.
| | - Saeed Samarghandian
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur, Iran
| | - Ali Zarrabi
- Sabanci University Nanotechnology Research and Application Center (SUNUM), Tuzla, 34956 Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Kiavash Hushmandi
- Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Division of Epidemiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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11
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Tickner ZJ, Farzan M. Riboswitches for Controlled Expression of Therapeutic Transgenes Delivered by Adeno-Associated Viral Vectors. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14060554. [PMID: 34200913 PMCID: PMC8230432 DOI: 10.3390/ph14060554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Vectors developed from adeno-associated virus (AAV) are powerful tools for in vivo transgene delivery in both humans and animal models, and several AAV-delivered gene therapies are currently approved for clinical use. However, AAV-mediated gene therapy still faces several challenges, including limited vector packaging capacity and the need for a safe, effective method for controlling transgene expression during and after delivery. Riboswitches, RNA elements which control gene expression in response to ligand binding, are attractive candidates for regulating expression of AAV-delivered transgene therapeutics because of their small genomic footprints and non-immunogenicity compared to protein-based expression control systems. In addition, the ligand-sensing aptamer domains of many riboswitches can be exchanged in a modular fashion to allow regulation by a variety of small molecules, proteins, and oligonucleotides. Riboswitches have been used to regulate AAV-delivered transgene therapeutics in animal models, and recently developed screening and selection methods allow rapid isolation of riboswitches with novel ligands and improved performance in mammalian cells. This review discusses the advantages of riboswitches in the context of AAV-delivered gene therapy, the subsets of riboswitch mechanisms which have been shown to function in human cells and animal models, recent progress in riboswitch isolation and optimization, and several examples of AAV-delivered therapeutic systems which might be improved by riboswitch regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary J. Tickner
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, the Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA;
- Correspondence:
| | - Michael Farzan
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, the Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA;
- Emmune, Inc., Jupiter, FL 33458, USA
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