Precision Medicine: Genetic Repair of Retinitis Pigmentosa in Patient-Derived Stem Cells

Sci Rep. 2016 Jan 27:6:19969. doi: 10.1038/srep19969.

Abstract

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated from patient fibroblasts could potentially be used as a source of autologous cells for transplantation in retinal disease. Patient-derived iPSCs, however, would still harbor disease-causing mutations. To generate healthy patient-derived cells, mutations might be repaired with new gene-editing technology based on the bacterial system of clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9, thereby yielding grafts that require no patient immunosuppression. We tested whether CRISPR/Cas9 could be used in patient-specific iPSCs to precisely repair an RPGR point mutation that causes X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (XLRP). Fibroblasts cultured from a skin-punch biopsy of an XLRP patient were transduced to produce iPSCs carrying the patient's c.3070G > T mutation. The iPSCs were transduced with CRISPR guide RNAs, Cas9 endonuclease, and a donor homology template. Despite the gene's repetitive and GC-rich sequences, 13% of RPGR gene copies showed mutation correction and conversion to the wild-type allele. This is the first report using CRISPR to correct a pathogenic mutation in iPSCs derived from a patient with photoreceptor degeneration. This important proof-of-concept finding supports the development of personalized iPSC-based transplantation therapies for retinal disease.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • CRISPR-Cas Systems
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Eye Proteins / chemistry
  • Eye Proteins / genetics
  • Gene Editing*
  • Gene Order
  • Gene Targeting
  • Genes, X-Linked
  • Genetic Therapy
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics
  • Humans
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / cytology
  • Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mutation
  • Precision Medicine*
  • RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems
  • Retinitis Pigmentosa / diagnosis
  • Retinitis Pigmentosa / genetics*
  • Retinitis Pigmentosa / therapy
  • Stem Cell Transplantation

Substances

  • Eye Proteins
  • RNA, Guide, CRISPR-Cas Systems
  • RPGR protein, human