Onishi et al. “Efficient Workflow for Validating Homology-Independent Targeted Integration-Mediated Gene Insertion…”

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Onishi et al. “Efficient Workflow for Validating Homology-Independent Targeted Integration-Mediated Gene Insertion…”

Authors: View ORCID ProfileAkishi Onishi, Yuji Tsunekawa, View ORCID ProfileMichiko Mandai, Aiko Ishimaru, Yoko Ohigashi, Junki Sho, Kazushi Yasuda, View ORCID ProfileKeiichiro Suzuki, View ORCID ProfileJuan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, View ORCID ProfileFumio Matsuzaki, View ORCID ProfileMasayo Takahashi

Publication: bioRxiv (Preprint), 2023.11.08.566127, 2023

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.11.08.566127

Abstract

Among the genome-editing methods for repairing disease-causing mutations resulting in dominant inhibition, homology-independent targeted integration (HITI)-mediated gene insertion of the normal form of the causative gene is useful because it allows the development of mutation-agnostic therapeutic products. For the rapid optimization and validation of highly effective HITI-treatment gene constructs against dominant-negative inheritance of inherited retinal dystrophy, we improved the gene constructs available in both plasmid and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, and established a workflow that uses in vivo electroporation to verify the in vivo efficacy. By targeting the mouse Rhodopsin gene, we derived a construct in which HITI-mediated gene insertion occurs in 80%-90% of transduced mouse rod photoreceptor cells. This construct suppressed degeneration and induced visual restoration in the mutant mice. The HITI-treatment constructs for the rhodopsin gene were shown to be effective in AAV vectors, and this construction is available for the mouse Peripherin 2 gene. These findings suggest that the workflow reported here may be useful for the generation of HITI-treatment constructs for various target genes and for the development of gene therapy products.