Durable and efficient gene silencing in vivo by hit-and-run epigenome editing

Martino Alfredo Cappelluti, Valeria Mollica Poeta, Sara Valsoni, Piergiuseppe Quarato, Simone Merlin, Ivan Merelli, Angelo Lombardo

Risultato della ricerca: Contributo su rivistaArticolo in rivistapeer review

Abstract

Permanent epigenetic silencing using programmable editors equipped with transcriptional repressors holds great promise for the treatment of human diseases1–3. However, to unlock its full therapeutic potential, an experimental confirmation of durable epigenetic silencing after the delivery of transient delivery of editors in vivo is needed. To this end, here we targeted Pcsk9, a gene expressed in hepatocytes that is involved in cholesterol homeostasis. In vitro screening of different editor designs indicated that zinc-finger proteins were the best-performing DNA-binding platform for efficient silencing of mouse Pcsk9. A single administration of lipid nanoparticles loaded with the editors’ mRNAs almost halved the circulating levels of PCSK9 for nearly one year in mice. Notably, Pcsk9 silencing and accompanying epigenetic repressive marks also persisted after forced liver regeneration, further corroborating the heritability of the newly installed epigenetic state. Improvements in construct design resulted in the development of an all-in-one configuration that we term evolved engineered transcriptional repressor (EvoETR). This design, which is characterized by a high specificity profile, further reduced the circulating levels of PCSK9 in mice with an efficiency comparable with that obtained through conventional gene editing, but without causing DNA breaks. Our study lays the foundation for the development of in vivo therapeutics that are based on epigenetic silencing.

Lingua originaleInglese
pagine (da-a)416-423
Numero di pagine8
RivistaNature
Volume627
Numero di pubblicazione8003
DOI
Stato di pubblicazionePubblicato - 14 mar 2024

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