1. Pre RNA trans-splicing
Gene Therapy
Presented by:
Farah Arooj
MS (Biochemistry)
2015-2017
Institute of Biochemistry & Biotechnology
University of the Punjab
2. RNA splicing in which exons from two different
primary RNA transcripts are joined end to end and
ligated.
Target Pre mRNA and other is trans splicing
molecule
Rare in higher eukaryotes
Emerging technique for RNA repair
4. Cis splicing: Splicing and exon ligation on the same mRNA
Trans splicing: Exons from two different mRNA are ligated.
5. Also called spliceosome mediated RNA trans
splicing (SMaRT)
Repairs the mutated part of target mRNA instead of
whole gene by giving a Pre trans splicing molecule
(PTM) exogenously which has the corrected coding
sequence.
First reported by Pattaraju et al., in 1999 in cancer
cell lines
6. Uses 3 components
1. Target mRNA
2. Spliceosome
3. Pre trans splicing molecule PTM
Spliceosome
Macromolecular enzyme complex
Consists of 5 uridine rich small nuclear RNA (snRNA)
U1, U2, U4, U5, U6 and large number of proteins.
There are approximately 100,000-200,000 splicesome
per cell.
7. Artificially designed RNA molecule
Contains
1. Binding domain helps binding of PTM on target
2. Coding domain modified sequences to be added
3. Trans splicing domain having elements for recognition of
spliceosome and splice sites
4. Enhanced 3’ UTRs
9. Based on different splice sites in trans splicing
domains
3’ exons replacement
5’ exon replacement
Internal exon replacement
10.
11. Injecting the plasmid DNA encoding the PTM
Viral vectors e.g. AAV, Lentiviral, retroviral
Trans splicing efficiency increases with high conc. of
PTM.
A library of PTMs is generated. Bound with GFP and RFP
Screened for efficient PTM by checking intensity of red
and green fluorescence
12. Target pre mRNA expression level
The type of PTM and its expression level
Binding strength with target splice sites
The ease of accessibility of the binding domain
The route of PTM delivery
Stem loop structures. Long binding domains
13. Still in pre-clinical era
SMaRT utility has been studied for various genetic diseases
like cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, SCID and cancers in xenograft
models and showed significant level of repair.
First In vivo demonstration of SMaRT
Performed in factor VIII hemophilia knockout mice. 16-26
exon were replaced by 3’ trans splicing. For 8 weeks,
circulating FVIII was detected.
14.
15. Duchenne Muscular
dystrophy
• Muscle degeneration and
premature death
• Caused by mutation in
dystrophin gene
• X linked recessive disorder,
affects mostly males
• Dystrophin anchor the
cytoskeleton into muscle cells
• Muscle contraction disrupt
sarcolemma leading to muscle
weakening
16. Lorain, S., Peccate, C., Le Hir, M., Griffith, G., Philippi, S., Précigout, G., ... & Garcia, L.
(2013). Dystrophin rescue by trans-splicing: a strategy for DMD genotypes not eligible
for exon skipping approaches. Nucleic acids research, gkt621.
17. Blankinship, M. J., Gregorevic, P., & Chamberlain, J. S. (2006). Gene therapy strategies for Duchenne
muscular dystrophy utilizing recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors. Molecular Therapy, 13(2),
241-249.
18. Can be used in suicide gene therapy by ligating a suicide
gene with the mRNA of potential gene involved in disease.
Cell death was observed when tried on Epidermolysis bullosa
associated squamous cell carcinoma cells
19. Small Trans gene size (corrected exons only)
PTM targets the mutated gene with high specificity
Natural regulation of gene
Eliminating the expression of deleterious protein.
Less chance of random mutagenesis.
Undesired gene expression minimized as trans-
splicing only occur in cells expressing the target pre-
mRNA.
20. Efficient technique for repairing mutation
More understanding of PTM designing and
efficiency required
Studies should extend to higher levels
Can be used in molecular imaging
In vivo drug screening