Precision targeting of bladder cancer using CRISPR technology

摘要 染色体重排在癌症中很常见，并且通常发生在癌发生的早期。 它们通过改变癌基因和肿瘤的表达或功能来驱动肿瘤发展 通过拷贝数改变、致癌融合的形成或通过改变抑制基因 DNA 元件负责调节癌症基因。尽管这是众所周知的功能 癌症是一百多年前发现的，但这种常见的癌症标志尚未被人们所认识。 治疗性利用。现在，全基因组技术首次取得进展 测序和用于精确靶向的 CRISPR 技术的发展使得 可以识别和靶向肿瘤细胞中的染色体重排连接（CRJ）。在 此外，最近在涉及纳米颗粒的 CRIPR 试剂体内递送方面取得的突破将 开辟临床应用的新途径。在这个 R21 应用中，我们提出了一种精确的 CRISPR 旨在针对癌症特异性 CRJ 的方法，将其作为癌症常见的未开发的致命弱点 所有肿瘤。这种基于 CRISPR 的精确方法由成对的 CRJ 靶向向导 RNA 组成 (gRNA) 将 dCas9 缀合的核酸内切酶 Fok1 的两个部分结合在一起，从而产生其 激活并诱导致命性 DNA 双链断裂 (DSB)，特别是在癌细胞中。 无论肿瘤驱动机制如何，CRJ 的存在都将被选择性地利用 迫使这些癌细胞死亡。我们已经获得了成功瞄准的原理证明 CRJ 在结肠癌细胞系和膀胱癌细胞系中均采用这种方法。我们已经组装了一个多 拥有 CRISPR 技术和设计、脂质纳米粒子递送专业知识的学科团队 系统和膀胱癌小鼠模型。有了这个团队并有强有力的证据 在癌细胞系中使用 Fok1-dCas9 有效靶向 CRJ，我们现在准备开发 并使用最近开发的突破性脂质在临床前癌症模型中测试我们的方法 纳米颗粒输送技术。如果成功实施，这种范式转变的精度- 靶向癌症治疗平台可能会在设计统一治疗方法方面带来变革 所有癌症类型，无论肿瘤的生物学性质如何。

ABSTRACT Chromosome rearrangements are common in cancers and typically occur early in carcinogenesis. They drive tumor development by altering the expression or function of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes by copy number alterations, formation of oncogenic fusions or by alterations of DNA elements responsible for regulating cancer genes. Despite being a well-known feature of cancer, discovered over hundred years ago, this common cancer hallmark has not yet been therapeutically exploited. Now, for the first time, technological advancements in whole genome sequencing and the development of CRISPR technologies for precision targeting makes it possible to identify and target chromosome rearrangement junctions (CRJs) in tumor cells. In addition, recent breakthroughs in in vivo delivery of CRIPR reagents involving nanoparticles will open new avenues into clinical utilization. In this R21 application, we present a precision CRISPR approach that aims at targeting cancer-specific CRJs as an untapped Achilles heel common to all tumors. This CRISPR-based precision approach consists of pairs of CRJ-targeting guide RNAs (gRNAs) that bring together two parts of a dCas9-conjugated endonuclease, Fok1, leading to its activation and the induction of lethal DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) specifically in cancer cells. Regardless of the tumor-driving mechanism, the presence of CRJs will be exploited to selectively force these cancer cells to die. We have obtained proof-of-principle of the successful targeting of CRJs with this approach in both colon and bladder cancer cell lines. We have assembled a multi- disciplinary team with expertise in CRISPR technology and design, lipid nanoparticle delivery systems and bladder cancer mouse models. With this team in place and with strong evidence of efficient targeting of CRJs with Fok1-dCas9 in cancer cell lines, we are now primed to develop and test our approach in pre-clinical cancer models using recently developed breakthrough lipid nanoparticle delivery technologies. If successfully implemented, this paradigm-shifting precision- targeting cancer therapeutic platform could be transformative in designing uniform treatments for all cancer types irrespective of the biology of the tumor.