CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to create nonhuman primate models for studying stem cell therapies for HIV infection

Jenna Kropp Schmidt; Matthew R Reynolds; Thaddeus G Golos; Igor I Slukvin

doi:10.1186/s12977-022-00604-5

CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing to create nonhuman primate models for studying stem cell therapies for HIV infection

Retrovirology. 2022 Aug 10;19(1):17. doi: 10.1186/s12977-022-00604-5.

Authors

Jenna Kropp Schmidt¹, Matthew R Reynolds^{1

2}, Thaddeus G Golos^{1

3

4}, Igor I Slukvin^{5

6

7}

Affiliations

¹ Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
² Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
³ Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
⁵ Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. islukvin@wisc.edu.
⁶ Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1220 Capitol Court, Madison, WI, 53715, USA. islukvin@wisc.edu.
⁷ Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA. islukvin@wisc.edu.

Abstract

Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are well-established basic and translational research models for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and pathophysiology, hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation, and assisted reproductive technologies. Recent advances in CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technologies present opportunities to refine NHP HIV models for investigating genetic factors that affect HIV replication and designing cellular therapies that exploit genetic barriers to HIV infections, including engineering mutations into CCR5 and conferring resistance to HIV/simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infections. In this report, we provide an overview of recent advances and challenges in gene editing NHP embryos and discuss the value of genetically engineered animal models for developing novel stem cell-based therapies for curing HIV.

Keywords: CCR5; CRISPR/Cas9; HIV; HSC transplantation; Nonhuman primates; Pluripotent stem cells; SIV.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Animals
CRISPR-Cas Systems
Gene Editing*
HIV Infections*
Humans
Primates
Stem Cells

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding