Derivation of healthy hepatocyte-like cells from a female patient with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency through X-inactivation selection

• Main Authors: Santamaria, Ramon, Ballester, Maria, Garcia-Llorens, Guillem, Martinez, Francisco, Blazquez, Marina, Ribes-Koninckx, Carmen, Castell, Jose V., Wuestefeld, Torsten, Bort, Roque
• Other Authors: School of Biological Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2022
• Subjects: Science::Biological sciences; Biological Therapy; Fibroblast
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/163355
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Autologous cell replacement therapy for inherited metabolic disorders requires the correction of the underlying genetic mutation in patient's cells. An unexplored alternative for females affected from X-linked diseases is the clonal selection of cells randomly silencing the X-chromosome containing the mutant allele, without in vivo or ex vivo genome editing. In this report, we have isolated dermal fibroblasts from a female patient affected of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency and obtained clones based on inactivation status of either maternally or paternally inherited X chromosome, followed by differentiation to hepatocytes. Hepatocyte-like cells derived from these clones display indistinct features characteristic of hepatocytes, but express either the mutant or wild type OTC allele depending on X-inactivation pattern. When clonally derived hepatocyte-like cells were transplanted into FRG® KO mice, they were able to colonize the liver and recapitulate OTC-dependent phenotype conditioned by X-chromosome inactivation pattern. This approach opens new strategies for cell therapy of X-linked metabolic diseases and experimental in vitro models for drug development for such diseases.