Research progress and application of the CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology based on hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is now a common cause of cancer death,with no obvious change in patient survival over the past few years.Although the traditional therapeutic modalities for HCC patients mainly involved in surgery,chemotherapy,and radiotherapy,which have achieved admirable achievements,challenges are still existed,such as drug resistance and toxicity.The emerging gene therapy of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated nuclease 9-based(CRISPR/Cas9),as an alternative to traditional treatment methods,has attracted considerable attention for eradicating resistant malignant tumors and regulating multiple crucial events of target gene-editing.Recently,advances in CRISPR/Cas9-based anti-drugs are presented at the intersection of science,such as chemistry,materials science,tumor biology,and genetics.In this review,the principle as well as statues of CRISPR/Cas9 technique were introduced first to show its feasibility.Additionally,the emphasis was placed on the applications of CRISPR/Cas9 technology in therapeutic HCC.Further,a broad overview of non-viral delivery systems for the CRISPR/Cas9-based anti-drugs in HCC treatment was summarized to delineate their design,action mechanisms,and anticancer applications.Finally,the limitations and prospects of current studies were also discussed,and we hope to provide comprehensively theoretical basis for the designing of anti-drugs.

Development and Therapeutic Applications of Precise Gene Editing Technology

The advent of gene editing represents one of the most transformative breakthroughs in life science,making genome manipulation more accessible than ever before.While traditional CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing,which involves double-strand DNA breaks(DSBs),excels at gene disruption,it is less effective for accurate gene modification.The limitation arises because DSBs are primarily repaired via non-homologous end joining(NHEJ),which tends to introduce indels at the break site.While homology directed repair(HDR)can achieve precise editing when a donor DNA template is provided,the reliance on DSBs often results in unintended genome damage.HDR is restricted to specific cell cycle phases,limiting its application.Currently,gene editing has evolved to unprecedented levels of precision without relying on DSB and HDR.The development of innovative systems,such as base editing,prime editing,and CRISPR-associated transposases(CASTs),now allow for precise editing ranging from single nucleotides to large DNA fragments.Base editors(BEs)enable the direct conversion of one nucleotide to another,and prime editors(PEs)further expand gene editing capabilities by allowing for the insertion,deletion,or alteration of small DNA fragments.The CAST system,a recent innovation,allows for the precise insertion of large DNA fragments at specific genomic locations.In recent years,the optimization of these precise gene editing tools has led to significant improvements in editing efficiency,specificity,and versatility,with advancements such as the creation of base editors for nucleotide transversions,enhanced prime editing systems for more efficient and precise modifications,and refined CAST systems for targeted large DNA insertions,expanding the range of applications for these tools.Concurrently,these advances are complemented by significant improvements in in vivo delivery methods,which have paved the way for therapeutic application of precise gene editing tools.Effective delivery systems are critical for the success of gene therapies,and recent developments in both viral and non-viral vectors have improved the efficiency and safety of gene editing.For instance,adeno-associated viruses(AAVs)are widely used due to their high transfection efficiency and low immunogenicity,though challenges such as limited cargo capacity and potential for immune responses remain.Non-viral delivery systems,including lipid nanoparticles(LNPs),offer an alternative with lower immunogenicity and higher payload capacity,although their transfection efficiency can be lower.The therapeutic potential of these precise gene editing technologies is vast,particularly in treating genetic disorders.Preclinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of base editing in correcting genetic mutations responsible for diseases such as cardiomyopathy,liver disease,and hereditary hearing loss.These technologies promise to treat symptoms and potentially cure the underlying genetic causes of these conditions.Meanwhile,challenges remain,such as optimizing the safety and specificity of gene editing tools,improving delivery systems,and overcoming off-target effects,all of which are critical for their successful application in clinical settings.In summary,the continuous evolution of precise gene editing technologies,combined with advancements in delivery systems,is driving the field toward new therapeutic applications that can potentially transform the treatment of genetic disorders by targeting their root causes.

A simple and efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system permits ultra-multiplex genome editing in plants

The development and maturation of the CRISPR/Cas genome editing system provides a valuable tool for plant functional genomics and genetic improvement.Currently available genome-editing tools have a limited number of targets,restricting their application in genetic research.In this study,we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9 plant ultra-multiplex genome editing system consisting of two template vectors,eight donor vectors,four destination vectors,and one primer-design software package.By combining the advantages of Golden Gate cloning to assemble multiple repetitive fragments and Gateway recombination to assemble large fragments and by changing the structure of the amplicons used to assemble sg RNA expression cassettes,the plant ultra-multiplex genome editing system can assemble a single binary vector targeting more than 40 genomic loci.A rice knockout vector containing 49 sg RNA expression cassettes was assembled and a high co-editing efficiency was observed.This plant ultra-multiplex genome editing system advances synthetic biology and plant genetic engineering.

A review of the literature on the use of CRISPR/Cas9 gene therapy to treat hepatocellular carcinoma

Noncoding RNAs instruct the Cas9 nuclease to site speifillyl cleave DNA in the CRISPR/Cas9 system.Despite the high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),the patient's outcome is poor.As a result of the emergence of therapeutic resistance in HCC patients,dlinicians have faced difficulties in treating such tumor.In addition,CRISPR/Cas9 screens were used to identify genes that improve the dlinical response of HCC patients.It is the objective of this article to summarize the current understanding of the use of the CRISPR/Cas9 system for the treatment of cancer,with a particular emphasis on HCC as part of the current state of knowledge.Thus,in order to locate recent developments in oncology research,we examined both the Scopus database and the PubMed database.The ability to selectively interfere with gene expression in combinatorial CRISPR/Cas9 screening can lead to the discovery of new effective HCC treatment regimens by combining clinically approved drugs.Drug resistance can be overcome with the help of the CRISPR/Cas9 system.HCC signature genes and resistance to treatment have been uncovered by genome-scale CRISPR activation screening although this method is not without limitations.It has been extensively examined whether CRISPR can be used as a tool for disease research and gene therapy.CRISPR and its applications to tumor research,particularly in HCC,are examined in this study through a review of the literature.

Studies on the temporal,structural,and interacting features of the clubroot resistance gene Rcr1 using CRISPR/Cas9-based systems

Clubroot disease is a severe threat to Brassica crops globally,particularly in western Canada.Genetic resistance,achieved through pyramiding clubroot resistance(CR)genes with different modes of action,is the most important strategy for managing the disease.However,studies on the CR gene functions are quite limited.In this study,we have conducted investigations into the temporal,structural,and interacting features of a newly cloned CR gene,Rcr1,using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.For temporal functionality,we developed a novel CRISPR/Cas9-based binary vector,pHHIGR-Hsp18.2,to deliver Rcr1 into a susceptible canola line(DH12075)and observed that early expression of Rcr1 is critical for conferring resistance.For structural functionality,several independent mutations in specific domains of Rcr1 resulted in loss-offunction,highlighting their importance for CR phenotype.In the study of the interacting features of Rcr1,a cysteine protease gene and its homologous allele in canola were successfully disrupted via CRISPR/Cas9 as an interacting component with Rcr1 protein,resulting in the conversion from clubroot resistant to susceptible in plants carrying intact Rcr1.These results indicated an indispensable role of these two cysteine proteases in Rcr1-mediated resistance response.This study,the first of its kind,provides valuable insights into the functionality of Rcr1.Further,the new vector p HHIGR-Hsp18.2 demonstrated an inducible feature on the removal of add-on traits,which should be useful for functional genomics and other similar research in brassica crops.

CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑技术在羊育种功能基因验证中的应用研究进展

基因编辑技术是一种对目的基因进行特定修饰的技术,被广泛应用于生物育种、疾病模型构建等研究领域。CRISPR/Cas9系统由重复和间隔单元组成的CRISPR阵列和一个Cas基因座位组成,能够对生物体性状进行目的基因定点编辑,具有简单、精确且高效的特点。CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑技术通过引入基因敲除、基因敲入、缺失、点突变和单核苷酸突变等不同形式的修饰广泛应用于畜禽的基因编辑,以研究畜禽关键基因功能,从而加速性状改良。相较于猪、鸡等其他畜禽,CRISPR/Cas9技术对羊的研究相对滞后。文章重点阐述了CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑技术在羊育种功能基因验证中的应用,对其在产肉性状、纤维性状、泌乳性状和人类疾病模型等方面的应用研究进展及前景进行了简要概述,以期为我国羊产业的可持续发展提供参考。

Improvements of TKC Technology Accelerate Isolation of Transgene-Free CRISPR/Cas9-Edited Rice Plants

Elimination of the CRISPR/Cas9 constructs in edited plants is a prerequisite for assessing genetic stability, conducting phenotypic characterization, and applying for commercialization of the plants. However, removal of the CRISPR/Cas9 transgenes by genetic segregation and by backcross is laborious and time consuming. We previously reported the development of the transgene killer CRISPR(TKC) technology that uses a pair of suicide genes to trigger self-elimination of the transgenes without compromising gene editing efficiency. The TKC technology enables isolation of transgene-free CRISPR-edited plants within a single generation, greatly accelerating crop improvements. Here, we presented two new TKC vectors that show great efficiency in both editing the target gene and in undergoing self-elimination of the transgenes. The new vectors replaced the CaMV35 S promoter used in our previous TKC vector with two rice promoters to drive one of the suicide genes, providing advantages over our previous TKC vector under certain conditions. The vectors reported here offered more options and flexibility to conduct gene editing experiments in rice.

Genome engineering and disease modeling via 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 via 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.CRISPR/Cas9 has been successfully employed as an ex vivo gene-editing tool in embryonic stem cells and patient-derived stem cells to understand pancreatic beta-cell development and function.RNA-guided nucleases also open the way for the generation of novel animal models for diabetes and allow testing the efficiency of various therapeutic approaches in diabetes,as summarized and exemplified in this manuscript.

A zwitterionic polymer-inspired material mediated efficient CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing

The typeⅡ prokaryotic CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9 (CRISPR/Cas9) adaptive immune system is a cutting-edge genome-editing toolbox.However,its applications are still limited by its inefficient transduction.Herein,we present a novel gene vector,the zwitterionic polymer-inspired material with branched structure (ZEBRA) for efficient CRISPR/Cas9 delivery.Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) acts as a master regulator of mitosis and overexpresses in multiple tumor cells.The Cas9 and single guide sgRNA (sgRNA)-encoded plasmid was transduced to knockout Plk1 gene,which was expected to inhibit the expression of PLK1.Our studies demonstrated that ZEBRA enabled to transduce the CRISPR/Cas9 system with large size into the cells efficiently.The transduction with ZEBRA was cell line dependent,which showed~10-fold higher in CD44-positive cancer cell lines compared with CD44-negative ones.Furthermore,ZEBRA induced highlevel expression of Cas9 proteins by the delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 and efficient gene editing of Plk1 gene,and inhibited the tumor cell growth significantly.This zwitterionic polymerinspired material is an effective and targeted gene delivery vector and further studies are required to explore its potential in gene delivery applications.

Gene Repair of iPSC Line with GARS (G294R) Mutation of CMT2D Disease by CRISPR/Cas9

Objective Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease(CMT)severely affects patient activity,and may cause disability.However,no clinical treatment is available to reverse the disease course.The combination of CRISPR/Cas9 and iPSCs may have therapeutic potential against nervous diseases,such as CMT.Methods In the present study,the skin fibroblasts of CMT type 2D(CMT2D)patients with the c.880G>A heterozygous nucleotide mutation in the GARS gene were reprogrammed into iPSCs using three plasmids(pCXLE-hSK,pCXLE-hUL and pCXLE-hOCT3/4-shp5-F).Then,CRISPR/Cas9 technology was used to repair the mutated gene sites at the iPSC level.Results An iPSC line derived from the GARS(G294R)family with fibular atrophy was successfully induced,and the mutated gene loci were repaired at the iPSC level using CRISPR/Cas9 technology.These findings lay the foundation for future research on drug screening and cell therapy.Conclusion iPSCs can differentiate into different cell types,and originate from autologous cells.Therefore,they are promising for the development of autologous cell therapies for degenerative diseases.The combination of CRISPR/Cas9 and iPSCs may open a new avenue for the treatment of nervous diseases,such as CMT.

CRISPR/Cas基因编辑及其新兴技术在丝状真菌研究中的系统应用

丝状真菌(filamentous fungi)具有独特的形态和细胞构造,与人类健康和工农业生产息息相关,对这类生物资源的开发和利用高度依赖高效的基因编辑平台。然而,由于丝状真菌复杂多样的遗传背景,使用传统的基因编辑技术较难实现大范围的基因编辑,极大地妨碍了丝状真菌的遗传学研究。CRISPR/Cas(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated protein)技术的出现,打破了这一困境,促进了不同种属和不同来源的丝状真菌的基因编辑,为丝状真菌的基础和应用研究带来了革命性的突破。本文简述了CRISPR/Cas系统的作用机理、分类及基于CRISPR的各种新型技术,归纳总结了丝状真菌中现有的CRISPR/Cas9系统功能组分、多种新兴CRISPR/Cas技术在丝状真菌中的应用现状以及海洋真菌中的CRISPR/Cas技术的应用情况。最后,对CRISPR/Cas系统在丝状真菌中应用进展缓慢、编辑效率低和脱靶效应等问题以及针对这些问题的潜在解决方法进行总结和展望,以期为不同类型的丝状真菌基因编辑平台的构建提供参考。

CRISPR-Cas基因编辑技术在羊生产应用中研究进展

基因编辑是一种能够进行基因组修饰的基因工程技术。近年来,随着分子生物学技术的飞速发展,成簇规则间隔短回文重复序列相关蛋白系统(clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated protein,CRISPR-Cas)作为新发展起来的一种强大的基因编辑工具,因具有高效性、精确性和灵活性而被广泛应用。CRISPR-Cas系统通过在特定基因组位点引入插入、缺失或单碱基替换等方式实现位点的特异性修饰,在畜牧生产的诸多领域做出了重大贡献。在羊生产应用方面,通过建立改善生产经济性状和抗病性的绵山羊动物模型,可以对关键基因的功能进行研究,从而加速性状的改良。本文主要综述了CRISPR-Cas系统的机制与功能及其在羊繁殖性状、肉用性状、产毛性状、泌乳性状和抗病性状生产应用与创建羊动物模型方面的研究进展。

CRISPR-Cas系统检测病原菌的研究进展

环境和食品中的病原菌威胁着人类和动物的生命健康,影响社会安定与经济发展。早期准确并快速检测病原菌,对监测和治疗人类与动物疾病起至关重要的作用。目前的病原菌检测技术主要包括分离培养鉴定法、免疫诊断方法以及基于核酸的分子生物学诊断技术。以上检测方法的特异性和准确性高,但存在检测周期长、对检测人员和设备的要求高等问题,亟待开发更加快速稳定、价廉简便的高灵敏度与高特异性的新型快速检测技术。近年来,以成簇的有规律间隔的短回文重复序列及其相关蛋白系统(CRISPR-Cas)系统为代表的新型基因编辑技术发展迅速。CRISPR-Cas系统不仅能够作为基因编辑工具,也在不同生物学领域中广泛应用,其中基于CRISPR-Cas系统开发的病原菌检测平台具有灵敏度高、特异性强、灵活性高、成本低廉、快速稳定等优势,在病原菌的快速检测方面具有较大潜力。本文旨在对近几年基于CRISPR-Cas系统开发的多种病原菌检测平台进行综述,包括CRISPR-Cas系统的基本作用原理及相关系统在各种病原菌检测中的应用,并展望其未来所面临的技术挑战与发展前景。

利用CRISPR-Cas系统研究食源性致病菌的基因编辑与调控

本文基于CRISPR-Cas系统,构建了食源性致病菌基因检测模型。利用基因编码测度技术对Cas蛋白基因中的向导RNA序列进行识别,提取其中的主要基因特征并进行分类。在此基础上,分别使用基因表达与分子诊断技术,根据序列特征,对基因表达数据的差异性与菌属分布概率进行分析。结果表明:通过设计特异性识别的向导RNA和基因差异表达的分析,实现对目标基因和致病菌的检测。这种方法为食源性致病菌的基因检测提供了一种精确、可靠且高效的工具。

基于293T-Cas9细胞株构建ICP34.5基因敲除的oHSV-1/Ecfp病毒

目的构建稳定表达Cas9蛋白的工具细胞,并利用短回文重复序列/相关蛋白9(CRISPR/Cas9)编辑技术改造1型单纯疱疹病毒(HSV-1),获得ICP34.5基因敲除的oHSV-1/Ecfp重组病毒。方法利用慢病毒包装体系,将包装Cas9表达质粒的病毒感染HEK293T细胞,然后经嘌呤霉素筛选获得稳定表达Cas9蛋白的293T-Cas9细胞株,通过聚合酶链式反应(PCR)及蛋白质免疫印迹技术检测Cas9基因及蛋白表达情况;利用分子克隆技术构建HSV-1病毒ICP34.5基因敲除的基因编辑质粒(pU6-Ecfp);pU6-Ecfp转染293T-Cas9细胞后感染野生型HSV-1病毒,在胞内通过CRISPR/Cas9技术敲除HSV-1病毒中ICP34.5基因,再利用增强型青色荧光(Ecfp)示踪及极限稀释法进行病毒富集纯化,通过PCR法进行oHSV-1/Ecfp病毒鉴定。结果PCR扩增、核酸电泳及蛋白质免疫印迹技术结果显示,细胞株293T-Cas9高转录Cas9基因及高表达Cas9蛋白;通过PCR鉴定及荧光示踪结果显示,基因编辑质粒pU6-Ecfp构建成功;Ecfp荧光示踪、PCR扩增及核酸电泳结果显示,Ecfp成功插入ICP34.5基因敲除位点,获得oHSV-1/Ecfp重组病毒。结论稳定表达Cas9蛋白的293T-Cas9细胞可作为CRISPR/Cas9基因编辑的工具细胞,构建的HSV-1/Ecfp病毒实现了ICP34.5基因敲除及Ecfp示踪蛋白的敲入。

Targeting miRNA by CRISPR/Cas in cancer:advantages and challenges

Clustered regulatory interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)has changed biomedical research and provided entirely new models to analyze every aspect of biomedical sciences during the last decade.In the study of cancer,the CRISPR/CRISPR-associated protein(Cas)system opens new avenues into issues that were once unknown in our knowledge of the non-coding genome,tumor heterogeneity,and precision medicines.CRISPR/Cas-based geneediting technology now allows for the precise and permanent targeting of mutations and provides an opportunity to target small non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs(miRNAs).However,the development of effective and safe cancer gene editing therapy is highly dependent on proper design to be innocuous to normal cells and prevent introducing other abnormalities.This study aims to highlight the cutting-edge approaches in cancer-gene editing therapy based on the CRISPR/Cas technology to target miRNAs in cancer therapy.Furthermore,we highlight the potential challenges in CRISPR/Cas-mediated miRNA gene editing and offer advanced strategies to overcome them.

CRISPR/Cas9 technology and its application in horticultural crops

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/CRISPR associated 9(CRISPR/Cas9)system has recently become one popular technology due to its efficiency,precision,and simplicity compared with other genome editing tools such as Zinc Finger Nucleases(ZFNs)and Transcription Activator Like Effector Nucleases(TALENs).Horticultural crops provide energy and health-keeping nutrients to humankind.Genome-editing technology has become widely adopted in horticultural breeding with the increasing demand for high yield and better-quality horticultural crops.Here,we describe the CRISPR/Cas9 system construction,its optimization,including sgRNA promoter,sgRNA design,Cas9 protein promoter,SpCas9 variants and orthologs,and vector delivery methods.We also summarized the application of this technology in horticultural plants for stress responses enhancement,fruit quality improvement,and cultivation traits modification.This detailed review was compiled to help establish comprehensive understanding of the CRISPR/Cas9 systems and provide a reference for further developing this technology to manipulate horticultural plant traits effectively.

CRISPR/Cas9:A powerful tool for crop genome editing

The CRISPR/Cas9 technology is evolved from a type II bacterial immune system and represents a new generation of targeted genome editing technology that can be applied to nearly all organisms. Site-specific modification is achieved by a single guide RNA(usually about 20nucleotides) that is complementary to a target gene or locus and is anchored by a protospaceradjacent motif. Cas9 nuclease then cleaves the targeted DNA to generate double-strand breaks(DSBs), which are subsequently repaired by non-homologous end joining(NHEJ) or homology-directed repair(HDR) mechanisms. NHEJ may introduce indels that cause frame shift mutations and hence the disruption of gene functions. When combined with double or multiplex guide RNA design, NHEJ may also introduce targeted chromosome deletions,whereas HDR can be engineered for target gene correction, gene replacement, and gene knock-in. In this review, we briefly survey the history of the CRISPR/Cas9 system invention and its genome-editing mechanism. We also describe the most recent innovation of the CRISPR/Cas9 technology, particularly the broad applications of modified Cas9 variants, and discuss the potential of this system for targeted genome editing and modification for crop improvement.

CRISPR/Cas9技术在昆虫基因功能研究中的应用及优化

主要概述了CRISPR/Cas9技术应用于涉及鞘翅目、鳞翅目、膜翅目、半翅目、直翅目和双翅目的昆虫在色素沉着、抗性、嗅觉、交配和性别发生等方面的研究进展,包括基因敲除和基因敲入技术的应用,同时总结了目前CRISPR/Cas9系统的优化方案,最后对改良CRISPR/Cas9系统在昆虫基因组学研究和农业害虫防控的应用前景进行了展望。利用基因编辑技术对昆虫基因功能进行探究是除基因过表达、RNA干扰等方法外的一种有效策略。CRISPR/Cas9技术是近年来出现并迅速发展的第三代基因编辑工具,以操作简便、成本低和编辑效率高等优点而被广泛应用于生物科学中的各个分支。

CRISPR-based genome editing technology and its applications in oil crops

Oil crops,mainly comprised of soybean,rapeseed,groundnut,sunflower and etc.,have provided substantial edible oil and other tremendous nutrients for human beings,as well as valuable biofuels for associated industries.The genetic improvement of significant oil crops and/or domesticating novel high-yielding oil crops are in urgent need to cope with the ever-increasing demand for various oil crop products.CRISPR(Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)-based genome editing technology,born a few years ago,edits stretches of DNA in a targeted and RNA-dependent fashion.The Characteristics of targeted mutagenesis and easy manipulation owned by the technology make it have been applied to many plants and exhibited great potential in the genetic improvement of many important oil crops.In the face of growing need for oil crop products and the rapid developments in CRISPR-based genome editing technology,a critical review regarding the technology and its application in oil crops is badly required to provide references for the better use of this technology to modify the oil crops for higher yield.In this review paper,we briefly described the CRISPR-based genome editing technology and summarized its applications and future prospects in oil crops.