RESUMO
CRISPR-Cas9 genome engineering is a powerful technology for correcting genetic diseases. However, the targeting range of Cas9 proteins is limited by their requirement for a protospacer adjacent motif (PAM), and in vivo delivery is challenging due to their large size. Here, we use phage-assisted continuous directed evolution to broaden the PAM compatibility of Campylobacter jejuni Cas9 (CjCas9), the smallest Cas9 ortholog characterized to date. The identified variant, termed evoCjCas9, primarily recognizes N4AH and N5HA PAM sequences, which occur tenfold more frequently in the genome than the canonical N3VRYAC PAM site. Moreover, evoCjCas9 exhibits higher nuclease activity than wild-type CjCas9 on canonical PAMs, with editing rates comparable to commonly used PAM-relaxed SpCas9 variants. Combined with deaminases or reverse transcriptases, evoCjCas9 enables robust base and prime editing, with the small size of evoCjCas9 base editors allowing for tissue-specific installation of A-to-G or C-to-T transition mutations from single adeno-associated virus vector systems.
Assuntos
Sistemas CRISPR-Cas , Edição de Genes , Sistemas CRISPR-Cas/genética , Mutação , Proteína 9 Associada à CRISPR/genética , Proteína 9 Associada à CRISPR/metabolismo , GenomaRESUMO
Vanishing white matter (VWM) is a fatal leukodystrophy caused by recessive mutations in subunits of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B. Currently, there are no effective therapies for VWM. Here, we assessed the potential of adenine base editing to correct human pathogenic VWM variants in mouse models. Using adeno-associated viral vectors, we delivered intein-split adenine base editors into the cerebral ventricles of newborn VWM mice, resulting in 45.9% ± 5.9% correction of the Eif2b5R191H variant in the cortex. Treatment slightly increased mature astrocyte populations and partially recovered the integrated stress response (ISR) in female VWM animals. This led to notable improvements in bodyweight and grip strength in females; however, locomotor disabilities were not rescued. Further molecular analyses suggest that more precise editing (i.e., lower rates of bystander editing) as well as more efficient delivery of the base editors to deep brain regions and oligodendrocytes would have been required for a broader phenotypic rescue. Our study emphasizes the potential, but also identifies limitations, of current in vivo base-editing approaches for the treatment of VWM or other leukodystrophies.
Assuntos
Dependovirus , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Fator de Iniciação 2B em Eucariotos , Edição de Genes , Leucoencefalopatias , Fenótipo , Animais , Camundongos , Fator de Iniciação 2B em Eucariotos/genética , Fator de Iniciação 2B em Eucariotos/metabolismo , Leucoencefalopatias/genética , Leucoencefalopatias/terapia , Leucoencefalopatias/patologia , Dependovirus/genética , Humanos , Vetores Genéticos/genética , Vetores Genéticos/administração & dosagem , Feminino , Mutação , Terapia Genética/métodos , Substância Branca/patologia , Substância Branca/metabolismo , Astrócitos/metabolismoRESUMO
Phenylketonuria (PKU) or hyperphenylalaninemia is considered a paradigm for an inherited (metabolic) liver defect and is, based on murine models that replicate all human pathology, an exemplar model for experimental studies on liver gene therapy. Variants in the PAH gene that lead to hyperphenylalaninemia are never fatal (although devastating if untreated), newborn screening has been available for two generations, and dietary treatment has been considered for a long time as therapeutic and satisfactory. However, significant shortcomings of contemporary dietary treatment of PKU remain. A long list of various gene therapeutic experimental approaches using the classical model for human PKU, the homozygous enu2/2 mouse, witnesses the value of this model to develop treatment for a genetic liver defect. The list of experiments for proof of principle includes recombinant viral (AdV, AAV, and LV) and non-viral (naked DNA or LNP-mRNA) vector delivery methods, combined with gene addition, genome, gene or base editing, and gene insertion or replacement. In addition, a list of current and planned clinical trials for PKU gene therapy is included. This review summarizes, compares, and evaluates the various approaches for the sake of scientific understanding and efficacy testing that may eventually pave the way for safe and efficient human application.
Assuntos
Fenilalanina Hidroxilase , Fenilcetonúrias , Humanos , Camundongos , Animais , Fenilalanina Hidroxilase/genética , Fenilcetonúrias/genética , Fenilcetonúrias/terapia , Terapia Genética/métodos , Fígado/patologia , DNARESUMO
BACKGROUND & AIMS: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a highly aggressive tumor that is almost uniformly lethal in humans. Activating mutations of KRAS are found in >90% of human PDACs and are sufficient to promote acinar-to-ductal metaplasia (ADM) during tumor initiation. The roles of miRNAs in oncogenic Kras-induced ADM are incompletely understood. METHODS: The Ptf1aCre/+LSL-KrasG12D/+ and Ptf1aCre/+LSL-KrasG12D/+LSL-p53R172H/+ and caerulein-induced acute pancreatitis mice models were used. mir-802 was conditionally ablated in acinar cells to study the function of miR-802 in ADM. RESULTS: We show that miR-802 is a highly abundant and acinar-enriched pancreatic miRNA that is silenced during early stages of injury or oncogenic KrasG12D-induced transformation. Genetic ablation of mir-802 cooperates with KrasG12D by promoting ADM formation. miR-802 deficiency results in de-repression of the miR-802 targets Arhgef12, RhoA, and Sdc4, activation of RhoA, and induction of the downstream RhoA effectors ROCK1, LIMK1, COFILIN1, and EZRIN, thereby increasing F-actin rearrangement. mir-802 ablation also activates SOX9, resulting in augmented levels of ductal and attenuated expression of acinar identity genes. Consistently with these findings, we show that this miR-802-RhoA-F-actin network is activated in biopsies of pancreatic cancer patients and correlates with poor survival. CONCLUSIONS: We show miR-802 suppresses pancreatic cancer initiation by repressing oncogenic Kras-induced ADM. The role of miR-802 in ADM fills the gap in our understanding of oncogenic Kras-induced F-actin reorganization, acinar reprogramming, and PDAC initiation. Modulation of the miR-802-RhoA-F-actin network may be a new strategy to interfere with pancreatic carcinogenesis.
Assuntos
Células Acinares/metabolismo , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/metabolismo , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/metabolismo , Reprogramação Celular , MicroRNAs/metabolismo , Pâncreas/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/metabolismo , Pancreatite/metabolismo , Células Acinares/patologia , Animais , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/genética , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/genética , Transformação Celular Neoplásica/patologia , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Masculino , Camundongos Transgênicos , MicroRNAs/genética , Mutação , Pâncreas/patologia , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/genética , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patologia , Pancreatite/genética , Pancreatite/patologia , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/genética , Fatores de Transcrição SOX9/genética , Fatores de Transcrição SOX9/metabolismo , Transdução de SinaisRESUMO
The gradual accumulation of genetic mutations in human adult stem cells (ASCs) during life is associated with various age-related diseases, including cancer. Extreme variation in cancer risk across tissues was recently proposed to depend on the lifetime number of ASC divisions, owing to unavoidable random mutations that arise during DNA replication. However, the rates and patterns of mutations in normal ASCs remain unknown. Here we determine genome-wide mutation patterns in ASCs of the small intestine, colon and liver of human donors with ages ranging from 3 to 87 years by sequencing clonal organoid cultures derived from primary multipotent cells. Our results show that mutations accumulate steadily over time in all of the assessed tissue types, at a rate of approximately 40 novel mutations per year, despite the large variation in cancer incidence among these tissues. Liver ASCs, however, have different mutation spectra compared to those of the colon and small intestine. Mutational signature analysis reveals that this difference can be attributed to spontaneous deamination of methylated cytosine residues in the colon and small intestine, probably reflecting their high ASC division rate. In liver, a signature with an as-yet-unknown underlying mechanism is predominant. Mutation spectra of driver genes in cancer show high similarity to the tissue-specific ASC mutation spectra, suggesting that intrinsic mutational processes in ASCs can initiate tumorigenesis. Notably, the inter-individual variation in mutation rate and spectra are low, suggesting tissue-specific activity of common mutational processes throughout life.
Assuntos
Células-Tronco Adultas/metabolismo , Envelhecimento/genética , Acúmulo de Mutações , Taxa de Mutação , Especificidade de Órgãos , Adolescente , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Animais , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Colo/metabolismo , Análise Mutacional de DNA , Feminino , Genes Neoplásicos/genética , Humanos , Incidência , Intestino Delgado/metabolismo , Fígado/metabolismo , Masculino , Camundongos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Células-Tronco Multipotentes/metabolismo , Neoplasias/epidemiologia , Neoplasias/genética , Organoides/metabolismo , Mutação Puntual/genética , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Intra-tumor hypoxia is a common feature in many solid cancers. Although transcriptional targets of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) have been well characterized, alternative splicing or processing of pre-mRNA transcripts which occurs during hypoxia and subsequent HIF stabilization is much less understood. Here, we identify many HIF-dependent alternative splicing events after whole transcriptome sequencing in pancreatic cancer cells exposed to hypoxia with and without downregulation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT), a protein required for HIFs to form a transcriptionally active dimer. We correlate the discovered hypoxia-driven events with available sequencing data from pan-cancer TCGA patient cohorts to select a narrow set of putative biologically relevant splice events for experimental validation. We validate a small set of candidate HIF-dependent alternative splicing events in multiple human gastrointestinal cancer cell lines as well as patient-derived human pancreatic cancer organoids. Lastly, we report the discovery of a HIF-dependent mechanism to produce a hypoxia-dependent, long and coding isoform of the UDP-N-acetylglucosamine transporter SLC35A3.
Assuntos
Processamento Alternativo , Neoplasias Gastrointestinais , Humanos , Translocador Nuclear Receptor Aril Hidrocarboneto/genética , Translocador Nuclear Receptor Aril Hidrocarboneto/metabolismo , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Neoplasias Gastrointestinais/genética , Neoplasias Gastrointestinais/metabolismo , Fator 1 Induzível por Hipóxia/metabolismo , Transcriptoma , Hipóxia TumoralRESUMO
Intestinal epithelial organoids established from gut tissue have become a widely used research tool. However, it remains unclear how environmental cues, divergent microbiota composition and other sources of variation before, during and after establishment confound organoid properties, and how these properties relate to the original tissue. While environmental influences cannot be easily addressed in human organoids, mice offer a controlled assay-system. Here, we probed the effect of donor microbiota differences, previously identified as a confounding factor in murine in vivo studies, on organoids. We analysed the proteomes and transcriptomes of primary organoid cultures established from two colonised and one germ-free mouse colony of C57BL/6J genetic background, and compared them to their tissue of origin and commonly used cell lines. While an imprint of microbiota-exposure was observed on the proteome of epithelial samples, the long-term global impact of donor microbiota on organoid expression patterns was negligible. Instead, stochastic culture-to-culture differences accounted for a moderate variability between independently established organoids. Integration of transcriptome and proteome datasets revealed an organoid-typic expression signature comprising 14 transcripts and 10 proteins that distinguished organoids across all donors from murine epithelial cell lines and fibroblasts and closely mimicked expression patterns in the gut epithelium. This included the inflammasome components ASC, Naip1-6, Nlrc4 and Caspase-1, which were highly expressed in all organoids compared to the reference cell line m-ICc12 or mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Taken together, these results reveal that the donor microbiota has little effect on the organoid phenotype and suggest that organoids represent a more suitable culture model than immortalised cell lines, in particular for studies of intestinal epithelial inflammasomes.
Assuntos
Intestino Delgado/metabolismo , Intestino Delgado/microbiologia , Organoides/metabolismo , Fenótipo , Proteoma/metabolismo , Transcriptoma , Animais , Linhagem Celular , Células Epiteliais/metabolismo , Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Inflamassomos , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C57BL , MicrobiotaRESUMO
Crypt stem cells represent the cells of origin for intestinal neoplasia. Both mouse and human intestinal stem cells can be cultured in medium containing the stem-cell-niche factors WNT, R-spondin, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and noggin over long time periods as epithelial organoids that remain genetically and phenotypically stable. Here we utilize CRISPR/Cas9 technology for targeted gene modification of four of the most commonly mutated colorectal cancer genes (APC, P53 (also known as TP53), KRAS and SMAD4) in cultured human intestinal stem cells. Mutant organoids can be selected by removing individual growth factors from the culture medium. Quadruple mutants grow independently of all stem-cell-niche factors and tolerate the presence of the P53 stabilizer nutlin-3. Upon xenotransplantation into mice, quadruple mutants grow as tumours with features of invasive carcinoma. Finally, combined loss of APC and P53 is sufficient for the appearance of extensive aneuploidy, a hallmark of tumour progression.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Colorretais/genética , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Intestinos/patologia , Mutação/genética , Organoides/metabolismo , Organoides/patologia , Células-Tronco/patologia , Aneuploidia , Animais , Sistemas CRISPR-Cas , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Neoplasias Colorretais/metabolismo , Feminino , Genes APC , Genes p53/genética , Xenoenxertos , Humanos , Imidazóis , Peptídeos e Proteínas de Sinalização Intercelular/metabolismo , Mucosa Intestinal/metabolismo , Camundongos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Mutagênese Sítio-Dirigida , Invasividade Neoplásica/genética , Invasividade Neoplásica/patologia , Transplante de Neoplasias , Piperazinas , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/genética , Proteínas Proto-Oncogênicas p21(ras)/metabolismo , Proteína Smad4/deficiência , Nicho de Células-Tronco/fisiologia , Células-Tronco/metabolismoRESUMO
The TGF-ß homolog Decapentaplegic (Dpp) acts as a secreted morphogen in the Drosophila wing disc, and spreads through the target tissue in order to form a long range concentration gradient. Despite extensive studies, the mechanism by which the Dpp gradient is formed remains controversial. Two opposing mechanisms have been proposed: receptor-mediated transcytosis (RMT) and restricted extracellular diffusion (RED). In these scenarios the receptor for Dpp plays different roles. In the RMT model it is essential for endocytosis, re-secretion, and thus transport of Dpp, whereas in the RED model it merely modulates Dpp distribution by binding it at the cell surface for internalization and subsequent degradation. Here we analyzed the effect of receptor mutant clones on the Dpp profile in quantitative mathematical models representing transport by either RMT or RED. We then, using novel genetic tools, experimentally monitored the actual Dpp gradient in wing discs containing receptor gain-of-function and loss-of-function clones. Gain-of-function clones reveal that Dpp binds in vivo strongly to the type I receptor Thick veins, but not to the type II receptor Punt. Importantly, results with the loss-of-function clones then refute the RMT model for Dpp gradient formation, while supporting the RED model in which the majority of Dpp is not bound to Thick veins. Together our results show that receptor-mediated transcytosis cannot account for Dpp gradient formation, and support restricted extracellular diffusion as the main mechanism for Dpp dispersal. The properties of this mechanism, in which only a minority of Dpp is receptor-bound, may facilitate long-range distribution.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Drosophila/metabolismo , Drosophila melanogaster/metabolismo , Receptores de Activinas Tipo II/genética , Receptores de Activinas Tipo II/metabolismo , Algoritmos , Animais , Proteínas de Drosophila/genética , Drosophila melanogaster/anatomia & histologia , Drosophila melanogaster/genética , Drosophila melanogaster/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Larva/genética , Larva/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Larva/metabolismo , Modelos Químicos , Morfogênese , Mutação , Especificidade de Órgãos , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinases/genética , Proteínas Serina-Treonina Quinases/metabolismo , Receptores de Superfície Celular/genética , Receptores de Superfície Celular/metabolismo , Asas de Animais/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Asas de Animais/metabolismoRESUMO
The success of prime editing depends on the prime editing guide RNA (pegRNA) design and target locus. Here, we developed machine learning models that reliably predict prime editing efficiency. PRIDICT2.0 assesses the performance of pegRNAs for all edit types up to 15 bp in length in mismatch repair-deficient and mismatch repair-proficient cell lines and in vivo in primary cells. With ePRIDICT, we further developed a model that quantifies how local chromatin environments impact prime editing rates.
RESUMO
Prime editing is a highly versatile genome editing technology that enables the introduction of base substitutions, insertions, and deletions. However, compared to traditional Cas9 nucleases prime editors (PEs) are less active. In this study we use OrthoRep, a yeast-based platform for directed protein evolution, to enhance the editing efficiency of PEs. After several rounds of evolution with increased selection pressure, we identify multiple mutations that have a positive effect on PE activity in yeast cells and in biochemical assays. Combining the two most effective mutations - the A259D amino acid substitution in nCas9 and the K445T substitution in M-MLV RT - results in the variant PE_Y18. Delivery of PE_Y18, encoded on DNA, mRNA or as a ribonucleoprotein complex into mammalian cell lines increases editing rates up to 3.5-fold compared to PEmax. In addition, PE_Y18 supports higher prime editing rates when delivered in vivo into the liver or brain. Our study demonstrates proof-of-concept for the application of OrthoRep to optimize genome editing tools in eukaryotic cells.
Assuntos
Bioensaio , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Animais , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/genética , Substituição de Aminoácidos , Encéfalo , Linhagem Celular , Sistemas CRISPR-Cas/genética , MamíferosRESUMO
p47 phox -deficient chronic granulomatous disease (p47-CGD) is a primary immunodeficiency caused by mutations in the neutrophil cytosolic factor 1 (NCF1) gene, resulting in defective NADPH oxidase function in phagocytes. Due to its complex genomic context, the NCF1 locus is not suited for safe gene editing with current genome editing technologies. Therefore, we developed a targeted NCF1 coding sequence knock-in by CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein and viral vector template delivery, to restore p47 phox expression under the control of the endogenous NCF2 locus. NCF2 encodes for p67 phox , an NADPH oxidase subunit that closely interacts with p47 phox and is predominantly expressed in myeloid cells. This approach restored p47 phox expression and NADPH oxidase function in p47-CGD patient hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) and in p47 phox -deficient mouse HSPCs, with the transgene expression following a myeloid differentiation pattern. Adeno-associated viral vectors performed favorably over integration-deficient lentiviral vectors for template delivery, with fewer off-target integrations and higher correction efficacy in HSPCs. Such myeloid-directed gene editing is promising for clinical CGD gene therapy, as it leads to the co-expression of p47 phox and p67 phox , ensuring spatiotemporal and near-physiological transgene expression in myeloid cells.
RESUMO
Prime editing is a versatile genome editing tool but requires experimental optimization of the prime editing guide RNA (pegRNA) to achieve high editing efficiency. Here we conducted a high-throughput screen to analyze prime editing outcomes of 92,423 pegRNAs on a highly diverse set of 13,349 human pathogenic mutations that include base substitutions, insertions and deletions. Based on this dataset, we identified sequence context features that influence prime editing and trained PRIDICT (prime editing guide prediction), an attention-based bidirectional recurrent neural network. PRIDICT reliably predicts editing rates for all small-sized genetic changes with a Spearman's R of 0.85 and 0.78 for intended and unintended edits, respectively. We validated PRIDICT on endogenous editing sites as well as an external dataset and showed that pegRNAs with high (>70) versus low (<70) PRIDICT scores showed substantially increased prime editing efficiencies in different cell types in vitro (12-fold) and in hepatocytes in vivo (tenfold), highlighting the value of PRIDICT for basic and for translational research applications.
Assuntos
Aprendizado Profundo , Humanos , Edição de Genes , Hepatócitos , Mutação , Redes Neurais de Computação , Sistemas CRISPR-Cas/genéticaRESUMO
Although dietary fructose is associated with an elevated risk for pancreatic cancer, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we report that ketohexokinase (KHK), the rate-limiting enzyme of fructose metabolism, is a driver of PDAC development. We demonstrate that fructose triggers KHK and induces fructolytic gene expression in mouse and human PDAC. Genetic inactivation of KhkC enhances the survival of KPC-driven PDAC even in the absence of high fructose diet. Furthermore, it decreases the viability, migratory capability, and growth of KPC cells in a cell autonomous manner. Mechanistically, we demonstrate that genetic ablation of KHKC strongly impairs the activation of KRAS-MAPK pathway and of rpS6, a downstream target of mTORC signaling. Moreover, overexpression of KHKC in KPC cells enhances the downstream KRAS pathway and cell viability. Our data provide new insights into the role of KHK in PDAC progression and imply that inhibiting KHK could have profound implications for pancreatic cancer therapy.
RESUMO
The splicing factor SF3B1 is recurrently mutated in various tumors, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The impact of the hotspot mutation SF3B1K700E on the PDAC pathogenesis, however, remains elusive. Here, we demonstrate that Sf3b1K700E alone is insufficient to induce malignant transformation of the murine pancreas, but that it increases aggressiveness of PDAC if it co-occurs with mutated KRAS and p53. We further show that Sf3b1K700E already plays a role during early stages of pancreatic tumor progression and reduces the expression of TGF-ß1-responsive epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) genes. Moreover, we found that SF3B1K700E confers resistance to TGF-ß1-induced cell death in pancreatic organoids and cell lines, partly mediated through aberrant splicing of Map3k7. Overall, our findings demonstrate that SF3B1K700E acts as an oncogenic driver in PDAC, and suggest that it promotes the progression of early stage tumors by impeding the cellular response to tumor suppressive effects of TGF-ß.
Assuntos
Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , Animais , Humanos , Camundongos , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/patologia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Mutação , Ductos Pancreáticos/metabolismo , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patologia , Fosfoproteínas/metabolismo , Fatores de Processamento de RNA/metabolismo , Fatores de Transcrição/metabolismo , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta1/metabolismo , Neoplasias PancreáticasRESUMO
The CRISPR/Cas technology has revolutionized forward genetic screening, and thereby facilitated genetic dissection of cellular processes and pathways. TGF-ß signaling is a highly conserved cascade involved in development, regeneration, and diseases such as cancer. Even though many core components of the signaling cascade have already been described, several context-dependent pathway modulators remain unknown. To address this knowledge gap, we have recently developed a CRISPR screening approach for identifying TGF-ß pathway regulators in three-dimensional organoid culture systems. Here, we provide a detailed protocol describing this approach in human intestinal organoids. With adaptations, this screening method could also be applied to other organoid types, and to other signaling cascades such as EGF or WNT signaling, thereby uncovering important mechanism in regeneration and disease.
Assuntos
Organoides , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta , Repetições Palindrômicas Curtas Agrupadas e Regularmente Espaçadas , Humanos , Intestinos , Fator de Crescimento Transformador beta/metabolismo , Via de Sinalização Wnt/genéticaRESUMO
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is an inherently immune cell deprived tumor, characterized by desmoplastic stroma and suppressive immune cells. Here we systematically dissect PDA intrinsic mechanisms of immune evasion by in vitro and in vivo CRISPR screening, and identify Vps4b and Rnf31 as essential factors required for escaping CD8+ T cell killing. For Vps4b we find that inactivation impairs autophagy, resulting in increased accumulation of CD8+ T cell-derived granzyme B and subsequent tumor cell lysis. For Rnf31 we demonstrate that it protects tumor cells from TNF-mediated caspase 8 cleavage and subsequent apoptosis induction, a mechanism that is conserved in human PDA organoids. Orthotopic transplantation of Vps4b- or Rnf31 deficient pancreatic tumors into immune competent mice, moreover, reveals increased CD8+ T cell infiltration and effector function, and markedly reduced tumor growth. Our work uncovers vulnerabilities in PDA that might be exploited to render these tumors more susceptible to the immune system.
Assuntos
Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático , Neoplasias Pancreáticas , ATPases Associadas a Diversas Atividades Celulares , Animais , Linfócitos T CD8-Positivos , Carcinoma Ductal Pancreático/patologia , Complexos Endossomais de Distribuição Requeridos para Transporte , Camundongos , Ductos Pancreáticos/patologia , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patologia , Ubiquitina-Proteína LigasesRESUMO
Vanishing white matter (VWM) is a leukodystrophy caused by recessive variants in subunits of eIF2B. At present, no curative treatment is available and patients often die at young age. Due to its monogenic nature, VWM is a promising candidate for the development of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene therapy. Here we tested a dual-AAV approach in VWM mice encoding CRISPR/Cas9 and a DNA donor template to correct a pathogenic variant in Eif2b5. We performed sequencing analysis to assess gene correction rates and examined effects on the VWM phenotype, including motor behavior. Sequence analysis demonstrated that over 90% of CRISPR/Cas9-induced edits at the targeted locus are insertion or deletion (indel) mutations, rather than precise corrections from the DNA donor template by homology-directed repair. Around half of the CRISPR/Cas9-treated animals died prematurely. VWM mice showed no improvement in motor skills, weight, or neurological scores at 7 months of age, and CRISPR/Cas9-treated controls displayed an induced VWM phenotype. In conclusion, CRISPR/Cas9-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) at the Eif2b5 locus did not lead to sufficient correction of the VWM variant. Moreover, indel formation in Eif2b5 induced an exacerbated VWM phenotype. Therefore, DSB-independent strategies like base- or prime editing might better suited for VWM correction.
RESUMO
Prime editing is a highly versatile CRISPR-based genome editing technology that works without DNA double-strand break formation. Despite rapid technological advances, in vivo application for the treatment of genetic diseases remains challenging. Here, we developed a size-reduced SpCas9 prime editor (PE) lacking the RNaseH domain (PE2ΔRnH) and an intein-split construct (PE2 p.1153) for adeno-associated virus-mediated delivery into the liver. Editing efficiencies reached 15% at the Dnmt1 locus and were further elevated to 58% by delivering unsplit PE2ΔRnH via human adenoviral vector 5 (AdV). To provide proof of concept for correcting a genetic liver disease, we used the AdV approach for repairing the disease-causing Pahenu2 mutation in a mouse model of phenylketonuria (PKU) via prime editing. Average correction efficiencies of 11.1% (up to 17.4%) in neonates led to therapeutic reduction of blood phenylalanine, without inducing detectable off-target mutations or prolonged liver inflammation. Although the current in vivo prime editing approach for PKU has limitations for clinical application due to the requirement of high vector doses (7 × 1014 vg/kg) and the induction of immune responses to the vector and the PE, further development of the technology may lead to curative therapies for PKU and other genetic liver diseases.
Assuntos
Hepatopatias , Fenilcetonúrias , Animais , Dependovirus/genética , Dependovirus/metabolismo , Edição de Genes , Hepatopatias/genética , Hepatopatias/terapia , Camundongos , Fenilcetonúrias/genética , Fenilcetonúrias/terapiaRESUMO
Mutations in the splicing factor SF3B1 are frequently occurring in various cancers and drive tumor progression through the activation of cryptic splice sites in multiple genes. Recent studies also demonstrate a positive correlation between the expression levels of wild-type SF3B1 and tumor malignancy. Here, we demonstrate that SF3B1 is a hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1 target gene that positively regulates HIF1 pathway activity. By physically interacting with HIF1α, SF3B1 facilitates binding of the HIF1 complex to hypoxia response elements (HREs) to activate target gene expression. To further validate the relevance of this mechanism for tumor progression, we show that a reduction in SF3B1 levels via monoallelic deletion of Sf3b1 impedes tumor formation and progression via impaired HIF signaling in a mouse model for pancreatic cancer. Our work uncovers an essential role of SF3B1 in HIF1 signaling, thereby providing a potential explanation for the link between high SF3B1 expression and aggressiveness of solid tumors.