Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Michela Simbula, Maria Francesca Manchinu, Maura Mingoia, Mauro Pala, Isadora Asunis, Cristian Antonio Caria, Lucia Perseu, Manan Shah, Merlin Crossley, Paolo Moi, Maria Serafina Ristaldi
Summary: This study identified a crucial BCL11A/miR-365-3p/SOX6 pathway in the regulation of HbF, providing new insights and potential therapeutic targets for treating 0-hemoglobinopathies.
MOLECULAR THERAPY-NUCLEIC ACIDS
(2023)
Article
Hematology
Marja W. Wessels, Marjon H. Cnossen, Thamar B. van Dijk, Nynke Gillemans, K. L. Juliette Schmidt, Kirsten van Lom, Divya S. Vinjamur, Steven Coyne, Ryo Kurita, Yukio Nakamura, Stella A. de Man, Rolph Pfundt, Zakia Azmani, Rutger W. W. Brouwer, Daniel E. Bauer, Mirjam C. G. N. van den Hout, Wilfred F. J. van IJcken, Sjaak Philipsen
Summary: The BCL11A gene is essential for human development and haploinsufficiency leads to several disorders, including Dias-Logan syndrome. A de novo variant in the BCL11A gene was found in a patient, resulting in high fetal hemoglobin levels. Studies show that BCL11A mutations affect gene expression and chromatin accessibility.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Shuang-Ping Ma, Hai-Rui Xi, Xu-Xia Gao, Jing-Min Yang, Ryo Kurita, Yukio Nakamura, Xian-Min Song, Hong-Yan Chen, Da-Ru Lu
Summary: The study found that hemoglobin subunit beta pseudogene 1 (HBBP1) can induce gamma-globin production by enhancing the expression of ETS transcription factor ELK1, providing potential therapeutic implications for beta-thalassemia patients.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Rayan Bou-Fakhredin, Lucia De Franceschi, Irene Motta, Maria Domenica Cappellini, Ali T. Taher
Summary: Better understanding of gamma-globin regulation has led to advancements in pharmacologic agents for HbF induction and identification of novel HbF-inducing strategies.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Fizza Iftikhar, Muhammad Behroz Naeem Khan, Syed Ghulam Musharraf
Summary: This study identified three non-toxic monoterpenes with significant erythroid expansion ability in K562 cells, while four compounds showed high potency in inducing HbF at both transcriptional and protein levels in vitro. The findings suggest monoterpenes as potential therapeutic agents for beta-thalassemia and sickle cell anemia, pending further mechanistic elucidation.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Maedeh Alipour, Nahid Nasiri, Fariba Kazemi, Farahnaz Zare, Sedigheh Sharifzadeh
Summary: The combination of resveratrol and hydroxyurea was found to effectively increase the expression of the gamma-globin gene, reduce reactive oxygen species levels, and alleviate the adverse effects of hydroxyurea.
NATURAL PRODUCT RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Biology
Roberto Gambari, Cristina Zuccato, Lucia Carmela Cosenza, Matteo Zurlo, Jessica Gasparello, Alessia Finotti, Maria Rita Gamberini, Marco Prosdocimi
Summary: This review article presents the fascinating story of sirolimus (rapamycin), a drug known to induce fetal hemoglobin and of great interest for the treatment of beta-thalassemia. It discusses the discovery of rapamycin, its antimicrobial properties, its inhibition of tumor cell growth, and its potential immunosuppressive effects. The article also highlights recent findings regarding rapamycin's ability to induce fetal hemoglobin, paving the way for clinical trials on beta-thalassemia patients.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Pedro Silva-Pinheiro, Christian D. Mutti, Lindsey Van Haute, Christopher A. Powell, Pavel A. Nash, Keira Turner, Michal Minczuk
Summary: The study developed a DNA editor called MitoKO, which can precisely eliminate each protein-coding gene in the mouse mitochondrial genome. MitoKO was used to generate knockout cells with high homoplasmy levels in vitro and a mouse model with high heteroplasmy levels and no off-target edits. This tool will aid in the comprehensive investigation of mtDNA-related pathways and the creation of clinically relevant in vivo models of mtDNA dysfunction.
NATURE BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Nikita Mikhailov, Riikka H. Hamalainen
Summary: Mitochondria are not only the energy factories of eukaryotic cells, but also have various signaling and metabolic functions. Mutations in the mitochondrial genome are a significant contributor to human disease. Modulating the ratio between healthy and mutant mtDNA in patients' cells offers a potential therapeutic option for mtDNA diseases.
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Hamad Ali, Faisal Khan, Syed Ghulam Musharraf
Summary: The study suggests the repurposing of cilostazol as a promising inducer of fetal hemoglobin production, showing increased expression of gamma-globin mRNA transcripts and HbF in vitro and in vivo without significant effects on cell proliferation and viability. These findings support further evaluation of cilostazol as a potential HbF inducer.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Robert J. Charman, Neil M. Kad
Summary: This study utilizes high-speed interferometric scattering microscopy and surface-bound DNA assay to uncover the early damage detection mechanism of UvrA. It reveals that the interaction between UvrA and DNA occurs in two phases, with a faster search state allowing UvrA to explore 99% of the E. coli genome within a single division cycle.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Shuang-Ping Ma, Xu-Xia Gao, Guo-Qiang Zhou, Hao-Kun Zhang, Jing-Min Yang, Wen-Juan Wang, Xian-Min Song, Hong-Yan Chen, Da-Ru Lu
Summary: Reactivation of fetal hemoglobin by editing the B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 11A (BCL11A) erythroid enhancer is an effective gene therapy for beta-thalassemia. In this study, it was found that the transfection efficiency of CD34(+) hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPCs) was negatively correlated with plasmid length and greatly affected by plasmid linearization. The use of minicircles (MC) DNA without plasmid backbone sequences was shown to be a better method for transgene expression both in vitro and in vivo. The developed MC DNA vector provided a safe and efficient approach for delivering the Cas9 cassette and reactivating gamma-globin expression to ameliorate symptoms of beta-thalassemia.
Article
Microbiology
Jonathan M. O. Rawson, Olga A. Nikolaitchik, Jennifer A. Yoo, Xayathed Somoulay, Matthew A. Brown, Franck S. Mbuntcha Bogni, Vinay K. Pathak, Ferri Soheilian, Ryan L. Slack, Stefan G. Sarafianos, Wei-Shau Hu
Summary: Novel retroviruses can emerge from recombination between distantly related retroviruses. These recombinants may initially have replication defects, but they can adapt and enhance their replication by acquiring substitutions.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Charul Singh, Ramesh Kumar, Hansa Sehgal, Sharmista Bhati, Tripti Singhal, Gayacharan, M. S. Nimmy, Renu Yadav, Santosh Kumar A. Gupta, Naglaa Abdallah, Aladdin Hamwieh, Rajendra Kumar
Summary: Genomics and genome editing offer great opportunities for crop improvement and fundamental research. The emergence of new genome editing techniques such as zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), homing endonucleases, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), Base Editors (BEs), and Primer Editors (PEs) enables scientists to modulate gene expressions or create novel genes with high precision and efficiency. However, these techniques are expensive and laborious, requiring protein engineering as a prerequisite. Unlike first-generation genome editing methods, CRISPR/Cas9 is easy to construct and can theoretically target multiple locations in the genome with different guide RNAs. This study discusses the progress in genome editing tools, their applications in chickpea crop development, scientific limitations, and future perspectives for enhancing drought resistance, heat tolerance, and yield in chickpea to address global climate change, hunger, and nutritional threats.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
M. N. Gnanapragasam, A. Planutis, J. A. Glassberg, J. J. Bieker
Summary: The onset of erythropoiesis is regulated by various factors, including the zinc finger transcription factor KLF1. A conserved enhancer element in KLF1 intron 1 is important for optimal KLF1 levels during erythropoiesis. This site exhibits cell-type specificity and binds multiple transcription factors. Editing this region reduces KLF1 expression, but downstream effects vary, suggesting a buffered state that maintains overall KLF1 activity.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)