A temperature-sensitive and interferon-silent Sendai virus vector for CRISPR-Cas9 delivery and gene editing in primary human cells.

The transformative potential of gene editing technologies hinges on the development of safe and effective delivery methods. In this study, we developed a temperature-sensitive and interferon-silent Sendai virus (ts SeV) as a novel delivery vector for CRISPR-Cas9 and for efficient gene editing in sensitive human cell types without inducing IFN responses. ts SeV demonstrates unprecedented transduction efficiency in human CD34+ hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) including transduction of the CD34+/CD38-/CD45RA-/CD90+(Thy1+)/CD49fhigh stem cell enriched subpopulation. The frequency of CCR5 editing exceeded 90% and bi-allelic CCR5 editing exceeded 70% resulting in significant inhibition of HIV-1 infection in primary human CD14+ monocytes. These results demonstrate the potential of the ts SeV platform as a safe, efficient, and flexible addition to the current gene-editing tool delivery methods, which may help to further expand the possibilities in personalized medicine and the treatment of genetic disorders.

Alpha-1-antitrypsin and its variant-dependent role in COVID-19 pathogenesis.

Rationale: SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells is facilitated by endogenous and exogenous proteases that proteolytically activate the spike glycoprotein and antiproteases inhibiting this process. Understanding the key actors in viral entry is crucial for advancing knowledge of virus tropism, pathogenesis, and potential therapeutic targets. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the role of naïve serum and alpha-1-antitrypsin (AAT) in inhibiting protease-mediated SARS-CoV-2 entry and explore the implications of AAT deficiency on susceptibility to different SARS-CoV-2 variants. Findings: Our study demonstrates that naïve serum exhibits significant inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 entry, with AAT identified as the major serum protease inhibitor potently restricting entry. Using pseudoparticles, replication-competent pseudoviruses, and authentic SARS-CoV-2, we show that AAT inhibition occurs at low concentrations compared with those in serum and bronchoalveolar tissues, suggesting physiological relevance. Furthermore, sera from subjects with an AAT-deficient genotype show reduced ability to inhibit entry of both Wuhan-Hu-1 (WT) and B.1.617.2 (Delta) but exhibit no difference in inhibiting B.1.1.529 (Omicron) entry. Conclusions: AAT may have a variant-dependent therapeutic potential against SARS-CoV-2. Our findings highlight the importance of further investigating the complex interplay between proteases, antiproteases, and spike glycoprotein activation in SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viruses to identify potential therapeutic targets and improve understanding of disease pathogenesis.