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Molecular Genetics of Rare Diseases

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pathology, Diagnostics, and Therapeutics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 2762

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurogenomics, McLean Hospital 2, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Interests: genetic signaling; neuropsychiatric disorders

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A disease affecting fewer than 200,000 people annually is considered a rare disease. Between 5 and 10% of the population is estimated to be affected by rare diseases and a majority (approximately 80%) of the rare diseases, are attributable to genetic abnormalities. The current numbers thus urge the research community to take advantage of new and affordable genome sequencing technologies, and in vitro and in vivo functional assessment strategies, clarifying the etiology of rare diseases. At the same time, developments of new gene therapy and genome editing technologies provide promises for treating these otherwise seemly untreatable rare diseases. This Special Issue on “Molecular Genetics of Rare Diseases” will highlight recent progress in understanding and treatment of rare diseases.

Dr. Zhicheng (Carl) Lin
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • rare disease
  • diagnosis
  • genetics
  • penetrance
  • etiology
  • causal effect
  • personalized treatment

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 2297 KiB  
Article
CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Correction of SLC12A3 Gene Mutation Rescues the Gitelman’s Disease Phenotype in a Patient-Derived Kidney Organoid System
by Sun Woo Lim, Xianying Fang, Sheng Cui, Hanbi Lee, Yoo Jin Shin, Eun Jeong Ko, Kang In Lee, Jae Young Lee, Byung Ha Chung and Chul Woo Yang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 3019; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24033019 - 3 Feb 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2488
Abstract
The aim of this study is to explore the possibility of modeling Gitelman’s disease (GIT) with human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived kidney organoids and to test whether gene correction using CRISPR/Cas9 can rescue the disease phenotype of GIT. To model GIT, we used [...] Read more.
The aim of this study is to explore the possibility of modeling Gitelman’s disease (GIT) with human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived kidney organoids and to test whether gene correction using CRISPR/Cas9 can rescue the disease phenotype of GIT. To model GIT, we used the hiPSC line CMCi002 (CMC-GIT-001), generated using PBMCs from GIT patients with SLC12A3 gene mutation. Using the CRISPR-Cas9 system, we corrected CMC-GIT-001 mutations and hence generated CMC-GIT-001corr. Both hiPSCs were differentiated into kidney organoids, and we analyzed the GIT phenotype. The number of matured kidney organoids from the CMC-GIT-001corr group was significantly higher, 3.3-fold, than that of the CMC-GIT-001 group (12.2 ± 0.7/cm2 vs. 3.7 ± 0.2/cm2, p < 0.05). In qRT-PCR, performed using harvested kidney organoids, relative sodium chloride cotransporter (NCCT) mRNA levels (normalized to each iPSC) were increased in the CMC-GIT-001corr group compared with the CMC-GIT-001 group (4.1 ± 0.8 vs. 2.5 ± 0.2, p < 0.05). Consistently, immunoblot analysis revealed increased levels of NCCT protein, in addition to other tubular proteins markers, such as LTL and ECAD, in the CMC-GIT-001corr group compared to the CMC-GIT-001 group. Furthermore, we found that increased immunoreactivity of NCCT in the CMC-GIT-001corr group was colocalized with ECAD (a distal tubule marker) using confocal microscopy. Kidney organoids from GIT patient-derived iPSC recapitulated the Gitelman’s disease phenotype, and correction of SLC12A3 mutation utilizing CRISPR-Cas9 technology provided therapeutic insight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Genetics of Rare Diseases)
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