Advancing CRISPR genome editing into gene therapy clinical trials: progress and future prospects.

Genome editing has recently evolved from a theoretical concept to a powerful and versatile set of tools. The discovery and implementation of CRISPR-Cas9 technology have propelled the field further into a new era. This RNA-guided system allows for specific modification of target genes, offering high accuracy and efficiency.

Generation of a Beta-Cell Transplant Animal Model of Diabetes Using CRISPR Technology.

Since insulin deficiency results from pancreatic beta-cell destruction, all type 1 and most type 2 diabetes patients eventually require life-long insulin injections. Insulin gene synthesis could also be impaired due to insulin gene mutations as observed in diabetic patients with MODY 10. At this point, insulin gene therapy could be very effective to recompense insulin deficiency under these circumstances.

Genome engineering and disease modeling programmable nucleases for insulin gene therapy; promises of CRISPR/Cas9 technology.

Targeted genome editing is a continually evolving technology employing programmable nucleases to specifically change, insert, or remove a genomic sequence of interest. These advanced molecular tools include meganucleases, zinc finger nucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases and RNA-guided engineered nucleases (RGENs), which create double-strand breaks at specific target sites in the genome, and repair DNA either by homologous recombination in the presence of donor DNA or the error-prone non-homologous end-joining mechanism. A recently discovered group of RGENs known as CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing systems allowed precise genome manipulation revealing a causal association between disease genotype and phenotype, without the need for the reengineering of the specific enzyme when targeting different sequences.

TRAIL induces proliferation in rodent pancreatic beta cells via AKT activation.

Strategies to increase functional pancreatic beta cell mass is of great interest in diabetes-related research. TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is well known to promote proliferation and survival in various cell types, including vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells. Correlation between the protective nature of TRAIL on these cells and its proliferative effect is noteworthy.

Lentiviral gene therapy vectors encoding VIP suppressed diabetes-related inflammation and augmented pancreatic beta-cell proliferation.

Type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks and destroys insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas leading to hyperglycemia. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) manifests insulinotropic and anti-inflammatory properties, which are useful for the treatment of diabetes. Because of its limited half-life due to DPP-4-mediated degradation, constant infusions or multiple injections are needed to observe any therapeutic benefit.

High-Grade Purification of Third-Generation HIV-Based Lentiviral Vectors by Anion Exchange Chromatography for Experimental Gene and Stem Cell Therapy Applications.

Lentiviral vectors (LVs) have been increasingly used in clinical gene therapy applications particularly due to their efficient gene transfer ability, lack of interference from preexisting viral immunity, and long-term gene expression they provide. Purity of LVs is essential in in vivo applications, for a high therapeutic benefit with minimum toxicity. Accordingly, laboratory scale production of LVs frequently involves transient cotransfection of 293T cells with packaging and transfer plasmids in the presence of CaPO.

High-Titer Production of HIV-Based Lentiviral Vectors in Roller Bottles for Gene and Cell Therapy.

Lentiviral vectors are becoming preferred vectors of choice for clinical gene therapy trials due to their safety, efficacy, and the long-term gene expression they provide. Although the efficacy of lentiviral vectors is mainly predetermined by the therapeutic genes they carry, they must be produced at high titers to exert therapeutic benefit for in vivo applications. Thus, there is need for practical, robust, and scalable viral vector production methods applicable to any laboratory setting.

HIV-based lentivirus-mediated vasoactive intestinal peptide gene delivery protects against DIO animal model of Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterised by insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and beta cell loss leading to hyperglycemia. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) has been regarded as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of T2DM because of its insulinotropic and anti-inflammatory properties. Despite these beneficial properties, VIP is extremely sensitive to peptidases (DPP-4) requiring constant infusion or multiple injections to observe any therapeutic benefit.

Analysis of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand and receptors and implications in thymus biology and myasthenia gravis.

Myasthenia Gravis is an autoantibody-mediated, neuromuscular junction disease, and is usually associated with thymic abnormalities presented as thymic tumors (~10%) or hyperplastic thymus (~65%). The exact role of thymus in Myasthenia Gravis development is not clear, yet many patients benefit from thymectomy. The apoptotic ligand TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand is thought to be involved in the regulation of thymocyte counts, although conflicting results are reported.

Intracellular localization of DR5 and related regulatory pathways as a mechanism of resistance to TRAIL in cancer.

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is a prominent cytokine capable of inducing apoptosis. It can bind to five different cognate receptors, through which diverse intracellular pathways can be activated. TRAIL's ability to preferentially kill transformed cells makes it a promising potential weapon for targeted tumor therapy.

Bleomycin induced sensitivity to TRAIL/Apo-2L-mediated apoptosis in human seminomatous testicular cancer cells is correlated with upregulation of death receptors.

The most common solid tumor is testicular cancer among young men. Bleomycin is an antitumor antibiotic used for the therapy of testicular cancer. TRAIL is a proapoptotic cytokine that qualified as an apoptosis inducer in cancer cells.

Clinical utility of insulin and insulin analogs.

Diabetes is a pandemic disease characterized by autoimmune, genetic and metabolic abnormalities. While insulin deficiency manifested as hyperglycemia is a common sequel of both Type-1 and Type-2 diabetes (T1DM and T2DM), it does not result from a single genetic defect--rather insulin deficiency results from the functional loss of pancreatic β cells due to multifactorial mechanisms. Since pancreatic β cells of patients with T1DM are destroyed by autoimmune reaction, these patients require daily insulin injections.

Insulin gene therapy from design to beta cell generation.

Despite the fact that insulin injection can protect diabetic patients from developing diabetes-related complications, recent meta-analyses indicate that rapid and long-acting insulin analogues only provide a limited benefit compared with conventional insulin regarding glycemic control. As insulin deficiency is the main sequel of type-1 diabetes (T1D), transfer of the insulin gene-by-gene therapy is becoming an attractive treatment modality even though T1D is not caused by a single genetic defect. In contrast to human insulin and insulin analogues, insulin gene therapy targets to supplement patients not only with insulin but also with C-peptide.

Therapeutic potential of VIP vs PACAP in diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is characterized by chronic insulin resistance and a progressive decline in beta-cell function. Although rigorous glucose control can reduce morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes, achieving optimal long-term glycemic control remains to be accomplished in many diabetic patients. As beta-cell mass and function inevitably decline in T2D, exogenous insulin administration is almost unavoidable as a final outcome despite the use of oral antihyperglycemic agents in many diabetic patients.

TRAIL and DcR1 expressions are differentially regulated in the pancreatic islets of STZ- versus CY-applied NOD mice.

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) is an important component of the immune system. Although it is well acknowledged that it also has an important role in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) development, this presumed role has not yet been clearly revealed. Streptozotocin (STZ) and Cyclophosphamide (CY) are frequently used agents for establishment or acceleration of T1D disease in experimental models, including the non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice.

Tracing of islet graft survival by way of in vivo fluorescence imaging.

Background: To increase the success rate in xenogeneic islet transplantation, proper assessment of graft mass is required following transplantation. For this reason, we aimed to develop a suitable fluorescence imaging system to monitor islet xenograft survival in diabetic mice.

Methods: Adenovirus vector encoding enhanced green fluorescent protein-transduced rat pancreatic islets were transplanted under the renal capsule of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice and the fluorescence signal was quantified over time using a cooled charge-coupled device.

KNK437, a benzylidene lactam compound, sensitises prostate cancer cells to the apoptotic effect of hyperthermia.

Hyperthermia is known to serve as a powerful tool in the treatment of prostate cancer which is commonly diagnosed in men. Quercetin and KNK437, Hsp70 inhibitors, play an important role in blocking thermotolerance in some cancer cells. In the present study we investigated the effects of KNK437 and quercetin on the acquisition of thermotolerance and heat-induced apoptosis.

NF-κB targeting by way of IKK inhibition sensitizes lung cancer cells to adenovirus delivery of TRAIL.

Background: Lung cancer causes the highest rate of cancer-related deaths both in men and women. As many current treatment modalities are inadequate in increasing patient survival, new therapeutic strategies are required. TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) selectively induces apoptosis in tumor cells but not in normal cells, prompting its current evaluation in a number of clinical trials.

Effects of androgen ablation therapy in TRAIL death ligand and its receptors expression in advanced prostate cancer.

Background: It is not known whether androgen ablation therapy (AAT) influences TRAIL death ligand and its receptors expression of prostate cancer (PCa) cells.

Aim: To investigate whether hormonal therapy alters the expression of TRAIL death ligand and TRAIL receptors in patients with advanced PCa.

Patients And Methods: 26 untreated and 20 AAT-treated advanced PCa patients were included in the study.

In vivo fluorescence imaging is well-suited for the monitoring of adenovirus directed transgene expression in living organisms.

Purpose: We tested a new light detection cooled charge-coupled device (CCD) for in vivo assessment of noninvasive, whole-body fluorescence optical imaging of adenovirus directed enhanced green fluorescent protein (AdEGFP) expression.

Procedures: AdEGFP was injected i.v.

High TRAIL death receptor 4 and decoy receptor 2 expression correlates with significant cell death in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma patients.

Objectives: The importance of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) and TRAIL receptor expression in pancreatic carcinoma development is not known. To reveal the putative connection of TRAIL and TRAIL receptor expression profile to this process, we analyzed and compared the expression profile of TRAIL and its receptors in pancreatic tissues of both noncancer patients and patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Methods: Thirty-one noncancer patients and 34 PDAC patients were included in the study.