Back to Search Start Over

Direct correction of haemoglobin E β-thalassaemia using base editors.

Authors :
Badat M
Ejaz A
Hua P
Rice S
Zhang W
Hentges LD
Fisher CA
Denny N
Schwessinger R
Yasara N
Roy NBA
Issa F
Roy A
Telfer P
Hughes J
Mettananda S
Higgs DR
Davies JOJ
Source :
Nature communications [Nat Commun] 2023 Apr 19; Vol. 14 (1), pp. 2238. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Apr 19.
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

Haemoglobin E (HbE) β-thalassaemia causes approximately 50% of all severe thalassaemia worldwide; equating to around 30,000 births per year. HbE β-thalassaemia is due to a point mutation in codon 26 of the human HBB gene on one allele (GAG; glutamatic acid → AAG; lysine, E26K), and any mutation causing severe β-thalassaemia on the other. When inherited together in compound heterozygosity these mutations can cause a severe thalassaemic phenotype. However, if only one allele is mutated individuals are carriers for the respective mutation and have an asymptomatic phenotype (β-thalassaemia trait). Here we describe a base editing strategy which corrects the HbE mutation either to wildtype (WT) or a normal variant haemoglobin (E26G) known as Hb Aubenas and thereby recreates the asymptomatic trait phenotype. We have achieved editing efficiencies in excess of 90% in primary human CD34 + cells. We demonstrate editing of long-term repopulating haematopoietic stem cells (LT-HSCs) using serial xenotransplantation in NSG mice. We have profiled the off-target effects using a combination of circularization for in vitro reporting of cleavage effects by sequencing (CIRCLE-seq) and deep targeted capture and have developed machine-learning based methods to predict functional effects of candidate off-target mutations.<br /> (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2041-1723
Volume :
14
Issue :
1
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Nature communications
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
37076455
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37604-8