METHOD FOR PRODUCING GENETICALLY MODIFIED CELLS
A method for producing genetically engineered immune cells, e.g. T cells, or iPSCs which uses an RNA-scaffold mediated base editing system. The method enables precise modifications to be made to the genome whilst minimizing the possibility of off-target effects, making the method particularly suitable for therapeutic applications.
1 . A method for genetically modifying an immune cell or an iPSC, the method comprising introduction into the cells and/or expression in the cells of:
i) a sequence-targeting component comprising a sequence-targeting protein;
ii) an RNA scaffold comprising
(a) a crRNA comprising a guide RNA sequence that is complementary to a target nucleic acid sequence,
(b) a tracrRNA capable of binding to the sequence-targeting protein, and
(c) an RNA motif; and
(iii) an effector fusion protein comprising
a) an RNA binding domain capable of binding to the RNA motif,
b) a linker, and
c) an effector domain having cytosine deamination activity or adenine deamination activity; and
culturing the introduced cell to produce a genetically modified immune cell or iPSC.
2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the sequence-targeting component comprises the sequence-targeting protein fused to one or more uracil DNA glycosylase (UNG) inhibitor peptide(s) (UGI).
3 . (canceled)
4 . (canceled)
5 . (canceled)
6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sequence-targeting protein is a Type II Cas protein that is nuclease null or has nickase activity.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sequence-targeting protein comprises the sequence of dCas9 or nCas9.
8 . (canceled)
9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the effector domain having cytosine deamination activity is a wild type or genetically engineered version of AID, CDA, APOBEC1, APOBEC3A, APOBEC3B, APOBEC3C, APOBEC3D, APOBEC3F, or other APOBEC family enzymes.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the effector domain having adenine deamination activity is a wild type or genetically engineered version of ADA, ADAR family enzymes, or tRNA adenosine deaminases.
11 . (canceled)
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the immune cell is selected from a T cell, Natural Killer (NK cell), B cell, or CD34+ hematopoietic stem progenitor cell (HSPC).
13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the immune cell or iPSC comprises a CAR or a TCR.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the genetic modification corrects a genetic mutation or inactivates the expression of a gene or changes the expression levels of a gene or changes intron-exon splicing.
15 . (canceled)
16 . (canceled)
17 . (canceled)
18 . (canceled)
19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the RNA scaffold is chemically modified to comprise 2′-(9-methyl phosphorthioate modification on at least one 5′ nucleotide and at least one 3′ nucleotide of the RNA scaffold sequence.
20 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the RNA scaffold is synthesised as two separate components, optionally, wherein the first component comprises a) the crRNA and the second component comprises b) the tracrRNA and c) the RNA motif.
21 . (canceled)
22 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the RNA scaffold is a synthetic RNA component(s).
23 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the RNA motif is located at the 3′ end of the RNA scaffold.
24 . (canceled)
25 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the RNA motif is an MS2 aptamer, optionally wherein the MS2 aptamer has an extended stem.
26 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the sequence targeting fusion protein comprises nCas9 with one or two UGIs and the RNA motif is a single MS2 located at the 3′ end of the RNA scaffold.
27 . (canceled)
28 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the genetic modification results in reduced expression of any combination of the following proteins TRAC, TRBC1, TRBC2, PDCD1, CD52 and B2M.
29 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is used for multiplex base editing.
30 . (canceled)
31 . (canceled)
32 . A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of introducing an exogenous nucleotide sequence into the genome of the genetically modified immune cell or iPSC.
33 . (canceled)
34 . A genetically modified immune cell or iPSC obtained according to the method of claim 1 .
35 . A population of genetically modified immune cells or iPSCs obtained according to the method of claim 1 , wherein at least 10% of the cells comprise the genetic modification(s).
36 . (canceled)