[ad_1]
Home
Biology
Biotechnology
/
Molecular & Computational Biology
November 13, 2018
November 13, 2018 by Mike Williams, Rice University
Rice University Bioengineers uses a magnetic field to activate nanoparticle-attached baculoviruses in a tissue. The viruses, which normally infect alfalfa looper moths, are modified to deliver gene-editing DNA code only to cells that are targeted with magnetic field-induced local transduction. Credit: Laboratory of Biomolecular Engineering and Nanomedicine / Rice University
A new technology that is related to moth-infecting viruses and nanomagnets could be used to reduce the risk of disease, which is known to cause sickle cell disease, muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis.
Rice University Bioengineer Gang Bao has combined magnetic nanoparticles with a viral container of a particular species of moth to deliver CRISPR / Cas9 payloads that modify genes in a specific tissue or organ with spatial control.
Because magnetic fields are simple to manipulate, unlike light, pass easily through tissue, and allow them to be used in the field of viral payloads by inactivated in blood.
The research appears in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
In nature, CRISPR / Cas9 bolsters microbes' immune systems by recording the DNA of invaders. That gives microbes the ability to recognize and attacking invaders, but scientists have tried to adapt to CRISPR / Cas9 to repair mutations that cause genetic diseases and to manipulate DNA in laboratory experiments.
CRISPR / Cas9 has the potential to halt hereditary disease – if scientists can get the genome-editing machines to the right cells inside the body. But roadblocks remain, especially in delivering the gene-editing payloads with high efficiency.
Bao said it would be necessary to edit cells in the body to treat many diseases. "But not enough," says Bao said. "Even if you inject the viral vector locally, it can leak to other tissues and organs, and that could be dangerous."
Gang Bao and his colleagues at Rice University are a combination of nanoparticles, magnets, and viruses that have a negative impact on their ability to deliver genetic therapy to people with inherited genetic diseases. Credit: Jeff Fitlow / Rice University
The delivery vehicle developed by Bao's group is based on a virus that infects Autographa californica, aka the alfalfa looper, a native moth to North America. The cylindrical baculovirus vector (BV), the payload-carrying part of the virus, is widely considered at up to 60 nanometers in diameter and 200-300 nanometers in length. That's big enough to transport more than 38,000 base pairs of DNA, which is enough to supply multiple gene-editing units to a target cell, Bao said.
He said the inspiration to combine BV and magnetic nanoparticles came from discussions with Rice postdoctoral researcher and co-lead author Haibao Zhu, who learned about the virus during a postdoctoral stint in Singapore but knew nothing about magnetic nanoparticles until he joined the Bao lab. The rice team has been experimenting with nanoparticles and anecdotal chemistry.
"We really did not know it, but we thought, 'worth a shot,'" Bao said.
The researchers use the magnetic nanoparticles to activate BV and deliver gene-editing payloads only where they are needed. To do this, they take advantage of an immune-system protein called C3 that normally inactivates baculoviruses.
"If we combine BV with magnetic nanoparticles, we can overcome this deactivation by applying the magnetic field," Bao said. "The beauty is that when we deliver it, gene editing occurs only at the tissue, or the part of the tissue, where we apply the magnetic field."
Application of the magnetic field allows BV transduction, the payload-delivery process that introduces gene-editing cargo into the target cell. The payload is also DNA, which encodes both a gene reporter and the CRISPR / Cas9 system.
In tests, the BV was loaded with green fluorescent proteins or firefly luciferase. Cells with the protein glowed brightly under a microscope, and experiments shown to be highly effective in the field of BV.
Other methods of treatment include CRISPR / Cas9 with adeno-associated viruses (AAV). "However, it is necessary to make BV transduction into the target cells more efficient," he said.
Explore further:
Are humans immune to the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing scissors?
More information:
Haibao Zhu et al. Spatial control of in vivo CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing via nanomagnets, Nature Biomedical Engineering (2018). DOI: 10.1038 / s41551-018-0318-7
Related Stories
Are humans immune to the CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing scissors?
October 31, 2018
The CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system has been generating excitement within the field of gene therapy, an inspiring hopes of molecular tools capable of treating genetic diseases. By studying immune responses to CRISPR-Cas9 in …
Genome damage from CRISPR / Cas9
July 16, 2018
Scientists at the Wellcome Sanger Institute have discovered that CRISPR / Cas9 gene editing can cause greater genetic damage in cells than was previously thought. These results create safety implications for gene therapies …
A way to detect the likelihood of off-target cuts in CRISPR-Cas9
September 13, 2018
An international team of researchers has made a way to detect the likelihood of making CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing techniques. In their paper published in the journal Nature, the group describes …
Researchers show that nucleosomes can inhibit CRISPR-Cas9 cleavage efficiency
September 11, 2018
A team of researchers at the University of Utah has found that nucleosomes can inhibit CRISPR / Cas9 cleavage efficiency. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes testing …
Alternative CRISPR system is less specific, more robust
September 13, 2017
The genetic tool adept at line-by-line gene editing, CRISPR, has revolutionized the ability of scientists to manipulate genes for experimental, and perhaps someday therapeutic, purposes. But it comes in several varieties. …
A delivery platform for gene-editing technology
February 21, 2018
A new delivery system for gene-editing technology can effectively and efficiently correct disease-causing mutations in patients. The system, developed by KAUST scientists, is the first to use sponge-like …
Recommended for you
Amazon turtle populations recovering well thanks to local action
November 13, 2018
The historically over-exploited Giant South American Turtle is making a significant comeback on the Brazilian Amazon's beaches thanks to local protection efforts, say researchers at the University of East Anglia.
Scientists uncover crucial biological circuits that regulates lipids and their role in overall health
November 13, 2018
Tiny microscopic worms, invisible to the naked eye, are helping scientists to better understand an extraordinarily complex biological pathway that connects fat to overall health and aging in humans.
Experimental therapy could repair mutations that causes genetic diseases
November 13, 2018
A new technology that is related to moth-infecting viruses and nanomagnets could be used to reduce the risk of disease, which is known to cause sickle cell disease, muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis.
Pulling the genome apart: Chromosome segregation during mitosis explained
November 13, 2018
When a cell divides-a process known as mitosis-its chromosomes need to be separated and evenly distributed to the newly created daughter cells. Although it is known to be extremely complicated and to feature a …
House sparrow status signaling theory no longer flies
November 13, 2018
The size of a male house sparrow's bib has long been associated with the bird's fighting abilities and status within the flock. Goal an international team of researchers has shown it is little evidence to support it.
Color vision variation in guppies influences female mate preference
November 13, 2018
A variety of animals have male-specific ornament traits and these ornaments are favored by female choice. Which traits are preferred by females often varies among females. Genetic mechanisms that create and maintain …
0 comments
Original Article can be found here
Source link
