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An enhancer-based gene-therapy strategy for spatiotemporal control of cargoes during tissue repair

  • Ruorong Yan
  • , Valentina Cigliola
  • , Kelsey A. Oonk
  • , Zachary Petrover
  • , Sophia DeLuca
  • , David W. Wolfson
  • , Andrew Vekstein
  • , Michelle A. Mendiola
  • , Garth Devlin
  • , Muath Bishawi
  • , Matthew P. Gemberling
  • , Tanvi Sinha
  • , Michelle A. Sargent
  • , Allen J. York
  • , Avraham Shakked
  • , Paige DeBenedittis
  • , David C. Wendell
  • , Jianhong Ou
  • , Junsu Kang
  • , Joseph A. Goldman
  • Gurpreet S. Baht, Ravi Karra, Adam R. Williams, Dawn E. Bowles, Aravind Asokan, Eldad Tzahor, Charles A. Gersbach, Jeffery D. Molkentin, Nenad Bursac, Brian L. Black, Kenneth D. Poss
  • Duke University
  • Weizmann Institute of Science
  • University of California at San Francisco
  • University of Cincinnati
  • University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Ohio State University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

The efficacy and safety of gene-therapy strategies for indications like tissue damage hinge on precision; yet, current methods afford little spatial or temporal control of payload delivery. Here, we find that tissue-regeneration enhancer elements (TREEs) isolated from zebrafish can direct targeted, injury-associated gene expression from viral DNA vectors delivered systemically in small and large adult mammalian species. When employed in combination with CRISPR-based epigenome editing tools in mice, zebrafish TREEs stimulated or repressed the expression of endogenous genes after ischemic myocardial infarction. Intravenously delivered recombinant AAV vectors designed with a TREE to direct a constitutively active YAP factor boosted indicators of cardiac regeneration in mice and improved the function of the injured heart. Our findings establish the application of contextual enhancer elements as a potential therapeutic platform for spatiotemporally controlled tissue regeneration in mammals.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)96-111.e6
JournalCell Stem Cell
Volume30
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 5 Jan 2023
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier Inc.

Funding

We thank Duke DLAR staff for mouse and swine care; Duke Cardiovascular Physiology Core, J. Stowell, and S. Degan for performing mouse MI surgeries; B. Varelas for plasmid; C. Bryant and N. Lee for technical help; Duke Zebrafish Core for zebrafish care; and F. Sun and M. Pronobis for comments on the manuscript. R.Y. was supported by an American Heart Association (AHA) postdoctoral fellowship ( 17POST33660087 ). V.C. was supported by Early ( P2GEP3_175016 ) and Advanced ( P400PM_186709 ) Postdoc Mobility fellowships from the Swiss National Science Foundation . S.D. was supported by predoctoral fellowships from AHA ( 903369 ) and NIH ( F31 HL162460 ). J.K. acknowledges support from National Institutes of Health ( R01 HL151522 ) and AHA ( AHA16SDG30020001 ). J.A.G. acknowledges support from AHA ( AHA117SDG33660922 ). G.S.B. acknowledges support from the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center Pilot Award ( P30AG028716 ) and NIH ( R21 AG067245 ). R.K. acknowledges support from Transforming Duke Health (TDH) and NIH ( R01 HL157277 ). C.A.G. acknowledges support from NIH ( U01AI146356 , UM1HG013053 , RM1HG011123 , R33DA041878 ), National Science Foundation ( EFMA-1830957 ), the Duke-Coulter Translational Partnership , and an Allen Distinguished Investigator Award . N.B. acknowledges support from NIH ( U01 HL134764 and R01 HL126524 ), TDH , and Fondation Leducq . B.L.B. acknowledges support from NIH ( R01 HL146366 and R01 DK119621 ). K.D.P. acknowledges support from NIH (R35 HL150713 and R01 HL136182 ), AHA , TDH , and Fondation Leducq .

FundersFunder number
Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence CenterP30AG028716, R01 HL157277, RM1HG011123, UM1HG013053, R21 AG067245, U01AI146356, R33DA041878
TDH
National Science FoundationEFMA-1830957, R01 HL126524, U01 HL134764
National Institutes of HealthAHA16SDG30020001, AHA117SDG33660922, F31 HL162460, R01 HL151522
American Heart Association17POST33660087, P400PM_186709, P2GEP3_175016
Fondation LeducqR01 HL136182, R01 DK119621, R01 HL146366, R35 HL150713
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung903369

    Keywords

    • YAP
    • cardiomyocyte proliferation
    • enhancers
    • gene therapy
    • heart regeneration
    • mouse
    • pig
    • tissue regeneration
    • zebrafish

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