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Chehelgerdi M, Chehelgerdi M, Khorramian-Ghahfarokhi M, Shafieizadeh M, Mahmoudi E, Eskandari F, Rashidi M, Arshi A, Mokhtari-Farsani A. Comprehensive review of CRISPR-based gene editing: mechanisms, challenges, and applications in cancer therapy. Mol Cancer 2024; 23:9. [PMID: 38195537 PMCID: PMC10775503 DOI: 10.1186/s12943-023-01925-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The CRISPR system is a revolutionary genome editing tool that has the potential to revolutionize the field of cancer research and therapy. The ability to precisely target and edit specific genetic mutations that drive the growth and spread of tumors has opened up new possibilities for the development of more effective and personalized cancer treatments. In this review, we will discuss the different CRISPR-based strategies that have been proposed for cancer therapy, including inactivating genes that drive tumor growth, enhancing the immune response to cancer cells, repairing genetic mutations that cause cancer, and delivering cancer-killing molecules directly to tumor cells. We will also summarize the current state of preclinical studies and clinical trials of CRISPR-based cancer therapy, highlighting the most promising results and the challenges that still need to be overcome. Safety and delivery are also important challenges for CRISPR-based cancer therapy to become a viable clinical option. We will discuss the challenges and limitations that need to be overcome, such as off-target effects, safety, and delivery to the tumor site. Finally, we will provide an overview of the current challenges and opportunities in the field of CRISPR-based cancer therapy and discuss future directions for research and development. The CRISPR system has the potential to change the landscape of cancer research, and this review aims to provide an overview of the current state of the field and the challenges that need to be overcome to realize this potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Chehelgerdi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran.
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran.
| | - Matin Chehelgerdi
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Milad Khorramian-Ghahfarokhi
- Division of Biotechnology, Department of Pathobiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
| | | | - Esmaeil Mahmoudi
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shahrekord Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrekord, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Eskandari
- Faculty of Molecular and Cellular Biology -Genetics, Islamic Azad University of Falavarjan, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mohsen Rashidi
- Department Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
- The Health of Plant and Livestock Products Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Asghar Arshi
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Najafabad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
| | - Abbas Mokhtari-Farsani
- Novin Genome (NG) Lab, Research and Development Center for Biotechnology, Shahrekord, Iran
- Department of Biology, Nourdanesh Institute of Higher Education, Meymeh, Isfahan, Iran
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Fierheller CT, Alenezi WM, Serruya C, Revil T, Amuzu S, Bedard K, Subramanian DN, Fewings E, Bruce JP, Prokopec S, Bouchard L, Provencher D, Foulkes WD, El Haffaf Z, Mes-Masson AM, Tischkowitz M, Campbell IG, Pugh TJ, Greenwood CMT, Ragoussis J, Tonin PN. Molecular Genetic Characteristics of FANCI, a Proposed New Ovarian Cancer Predisposing Gene. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14020277. [PMID: 36833203 PMCID: PMC9956348 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
FANCI was recently identified as a new candidate ovarian cancer (OC)-predisposing gene from the genetic analysis of carriers of FANCI c.1813C>T; p.L605F in OC families. Here, we aimed to investigate the molecular genetic characteristics of FANCI, as they have not been described in the context of cancer. We first investigated the germline genetic landscape of two sisters with OC from the discovery FANCI c.1813C>T; p.L605F family (F1528) to re-affirm the plausibility of this candidate. As we did not find other conclusive candidates, we then performed a candidate gene approach to identify other candidate variants in genes involved in the FANCI protein interactome in OC families negative for pathogenic variants in BRCA1, BRCA2, BRIP1, RAD51C, RAD51D, and FANCI, which identified four candidate variants. We then investigated FANCI in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSC) from FANCI c.1813C>T carriers and found evidence of loss of the wild-type allele in tumour DNA from some of these cases. The somatic genetic landscape of OC tumours from FANCI c.1813C>T carriers was investigated for mutations in selected genes, copy number alterations, and mutational signatures, which determined that the profiles of tumours from carriers were characteristic of features exhibited by HGSC cases. As other OC-predisposing genes such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 are known to increase the risk of other cancers including breast cancer, we investigated the carrier frequency of germline FANCI c.1813C>T in various cancer types and found overall more carriers among cancer cases compared to cancer-free controls (p = 0.007). In these different tumour types, we also identified a spectrum of somatic variants in FANCI that were not restricted to any specific region within the gene. Collectively, these findings expand on the characteristics described for OC cases carrying FANCI c.1813C>T; p.L605F and suggest the possible involvement of FANCI in other cancer types at the germline and/or somatic level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin T. Fierheller
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
- Cancer Research Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Wejdan M. Alenezi
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
- Cancer Research Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Taibah University, Medina 42353, Saudi Arabia
| | - Corinne Serruya
- Cancer Research Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Timothée Revil
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Setor Amuzu
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Karine Bedard
- Laboratoire de Diagnostic Moléculaire, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montreal, QC H2X 3E4, Canada
- Département de Pathologie et Biologie Cellulaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Deepak N. Subramanian
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Eleanor Fewings
- Department of Medical Genetics, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
| | - Jeffrey P. Bruce
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C1, Canada
| | - Stephenie Prokopec
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C1, Canada
| | - Luigi Bouchard
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
- Department of Medical Biology, Centres Intégrés Universitaires de Santé et de Services Sociaux du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean Hôpital Universitaire de Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC G7H 7K9, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier l’Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Diane Provencher
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - William D. Foulkes
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
- Cancer Research Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada
| | - Zaki El Haffaf
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
| | - Anne-Marie Mes-Masson
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and Institut du Cancer de Montréal, Montreal, QC H2X 0A9, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Marc Tischkowitz
- Department of Medical Genetics, National Institute for Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
| | - Ian G. Campbell
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Trevor J. Pugh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON M5G 2C1, Canada
| | - Celia M. T. Greenwood
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC H3T 1E2, Canada
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4A 3T2, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics & Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1Y7, Canada
| | - Jiannis Ragoussis
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Patricia N. Tonin
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
- Cancer Research Program, The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3G 2M1, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Alenezi WM, Fierheller CT, Serruya C, Revil T, Oros KK, Subramanian DN, Bruce J, Spiegelman D, Pugh T, Campbell IG, Mes-Masson AM, Provencher D, Foulkes WD, Haffaf ZE, Rouleau G, Bouchard L, Greenwood CMT, Ragoussis J, Tonin PN. Genetic analyses of DNA repair pathway associated genes implicate new candidate cancer predisposing genes in ancestrally defined ovarian cancer cases. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1111191. [PMID: 36969007 PMCID: PMC10030840 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1111191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Not all familial ovarian cancer (OC) cases are explained by pathogenic germline variants in known risk genes. A candidate gene approach involving DNA repair pathway genes was applied to identify rare recurring pathogenic variants in familial OC cases not associated with known OC risk genes from a population exhibiting genetic drift. Whole exome sequencing (WES) data of 15 OC cases from 13 families tested negative for pathogenic variants in known OC risk genes were investigated for candidate variants in 468 DNA repair pathway genes. Filtering and prioritization criteria were applied to WES data to select top candidates for further analyses. Candidates were genotyped in ancestry defined study groups of 214 familial and 998 sporadic OC or breast cancer (BC) cases and 1025 population-matched controls and screened for additional carriers in 605 population-matched OC cases. The candidate genes were also analyzed in WES data from 937 familial or sporadic OC cases of diverse ancestries. Top candidate variants in ERCC5, EXO1, FANCC, NEIL1 and NTHL1 were identified in 5/13 (39%) OC families. Collectively, candidate variants were identified in 7/435 (1.6%) sporadic OC cases and 1/566 (0.2%) sporadic BC cases versus 1/1025 (0.1%) controls. Additional carriers were identified in 6/605 (0.9%) OC cases. Tumour DNA from ERCC5, NEIL1 and NTHL1 variant carriers exhibited loss of the wild-type allele. Carriers of various candidate variants in these genes were identified in 31/937 (3.3%) OC cases of diverse ancestries versus 0-0.004% in cancer-free controls. The strategy of applying a candidate gene approach in a population exhibiting genetic drift identified new candidate OC predisposition variants in DNA repair pathway genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wejdan M. Alenezi
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Cancer Research Program, Centre for Translational Biology, The Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Taibah University, Medina, Saudi Arabia
| | - Caitlin T. Fierheller
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Cancer Research Program, Centre for Translational Biology, The Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Corinne Serruya
- Cancer Research Program, Centre for Translational Biology, The Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Timothée Revil
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kathleen K. Oros
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Deepak N. Subramanian
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jeffrey Bruce
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dan Spiegelman
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Trevor Pugh
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ian G. Campbell
- Cancer Genetics Laboratory, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Anne-Marie Mes-Masson
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and Institut du cancer de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Departement of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Diane Provencher
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and Institut du cancer de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - William D. Foulkes
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Cancer Research Program, Centre for Translational Biology, The Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Zaki El Haffaf
- Centre de recherche du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal and Institut du cancer de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Service de Médecine Génique, Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Guy Rouleau
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Luigi Bouchard
- Department of Biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
- Department of Medical Biology, Centres intégrés universitaires de santé et de services sociaux du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean hôpital Universitaire de Chicoutimi, Saguenay, QC, Canada
- Centre de Recherche du Centre hospitalier l’Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Celia M. T. Greenwood
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research of the Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jiannis Ragoussis
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- McGill Genome Centre, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Patricia N. Tonin
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Cancer Research Program, Centre for Translational Biology, The Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Patricia N. Tonin,
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Minigene Splicing Assays Identify 20 Spliceogenic Variants of the Breast/Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Gene RAD51C. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14122960. [PMID: 35740625 PMCID: PMC9221245 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14122960] [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: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
RAD51C loss-of-function variants are associated with an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Likewise, splicing disruptions are a frequent mechanism of gene inactivation. Taking advantage of a previous splicing-reporter minigene with exons 2-8 (mgR51C_ex2-8), we proceeded to check its impact on the splicing of candidate ClinVar variants. A total of 141 RAD51C variants at the intron/exon boundaries were analyzed with MaxEntScan. Twenty variants were selected and genetically engineered into the wild-type minigene. All the variants disrupted splicing, and 18 induced major splicing anomalies without any trace or minimal amounts (<2.4%) of the minigene full-length (FL) transcript. Twenty-seven transcripts (including the wild-type and r.904A FL transcripts) were identified by fluorescent fragment electrophoresis; of these, 14 were predicted to truncate the RAD51C protein, 3 kept the reading frame, and 8 minor isoforms (1.1−4.7% of the overall expression) could not be characterized. Finally, we performed a tentative interpretation of the variants according to an ACMG/AMP (American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics/Association for Molecular Pathology)-based classification scheme, classifying 16 variants as likely pathogenic. Minigene assays have been proven as valuable tools for the initial characterization of potential spliceogenic variants. Hence, minigene mgR51C_ex2-8 provided useful splicing data for 40 RAD51C variants.
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